This isn't a guide to complete anything in game but an analyzation of story. Spoilers ahead! I try and separate my interpretations from concrete events in the story. Most of the story take place in the lore before the events of the game so the timeline is the main bulk of the guide. I believe the sections I created are the best way to explain all the aspects of the story. I am not perfect so If you spot any mistakes let me know. Sorry I am not gonna format the guide to look good on mobile.

Bullet Points are concrete events that are confirmed by the game.
The Swung dash or Squiggly line ~ denotes guesswork by me and some uncertainty of when the events actually take place.

• Abraham Mahoney born 1821 died 1891
  Lisbeth Mahoney born 1819 died 1891
  
  
• 1921 - The Northern Hunters are at least formed by 1921. The symbol of the cult in there photo. Comprised notably by Benjamin Mahoney, Andy Milkway, and reverend Wildshire.
  
  ~ Louis and Anne get married and have multiple children.
  
  ~Benjamin Mahoney becomes Mayor of Pestisville.
  
  ~Around a Christmas Mahoney Increases municipal grants for the parish.
  
  ~Andy Milkway has redevelopment plans for his seafood processing plant he owns. Builds a secret lab underneath it for experiments.
  
  
• 06/12/1925 - NYC Nightcrawler newspaper states "Ocean waves flooded the city. Brooklyn is
  under water!".
  
  
• 07/12/1925 - London Ear newspaper states "Mass seizures, hospitals bursting at the seams."
  
  
• 09/17/1925 - Blue Squid crew take photo together.
  
  
• 12/01/1925 - Blue Squid arrived at the port in Nortfolk and exchanged goods. Barry Lewis the
  Navigator suffers from a fever and gets isolated in his cabin.
  
  
• 12/05/1925 - Blue Squid leaves New York city and is headed for Boston its final destination. Barry
  Lewis condition worsens. Has nightmare screams that influence the rest of the crew yet they
  don't show any signs of disease.
  
  
• 12/06/1925 - Times New Rome newspaper states "Earthquake demolishes Domus Pontificalis!"
  
  ~A telegram warning of the storm in the North-West Atlantic is sent out.
  
  
• 12/06/1925 - A note lost at sea from a Blue Squid crew member states they were hit by a major
  storm and drifted to the open ocean. Part of the crew fell into delirium. On the horizon an island
  not present on maps could be seen. Then they provided coordinates near Bermuda.
  
  
• 12/07/1925 - The same crew member states they barricaded themselves in a cabin. Madness,
  mutiny on board.
  
  ~A lost message in a bottle from the Captain of the Blue Squid Tom Phillips states that part of the
  crew rebelled. They killed the rest of sailors and imprisoned him under the hatches. Says they
  perform rituals and speak a incomprehensible language.
  
  
• 12/11/1925 - The Blue Squid delivery ship is in the Pestisville Seaport.
  
  ~A plaque in Petisville graveyard states "Rip to those who died at the sea, including captain Tom
  Phillips - friends from the crew of the Blue Squid. December 6, 1925".
  
  ~Navigator Barry Lewis in a unknown condition is taken to the secret lab under the processing
  plant.
  
  ~Fishermen are being recruited to work boats sailing the Gulf of Maine, foreigners are guaranteed accommodation. Recruitment till 03/17. Should apply to Captain Banecroft.
  
  
• 03/09/1926 - New England Reporter reports that Mayor Mahoney, Reverend Wildshire and fifteen other citizens go missing in the last few weeks in Halflings County. Citizens think it is the Beast of Pestisville.
  
  ~With the disappearance of Benjamin Mahoney. Connor Walsh becomes Acting Mayor of
  Pestisville.
  Implements a Curfew for night hours and tell citizens to report concerning situations to the
  sheriffs's office.
  
  ~Aiden Macdonald is running a mayoral campaign. Promises to inspect treatment plant and wants to take the towns fate away from the power of the Mahoney family.
  
  ~Aiden Macdonald goes missing.
  
  ~A Search warrant is issued to Andy Milkyway's processing plant.
  
  ~Wes Murphy is found by unknown circumstances but ends up in the Hospital. Likely one of the
  fifteen citizens who went missing. Was found in a catatonic state but once treated started speaking
  in a unknown language and convulsing.
  
  ~Dr Sullivan contacts Louis to try and understand the language spoken by Wes Murphy.
  
  
• 03/11/1916 - Prof. I Jones Sends message to Louis from Providence about magic rune symbol older then any known civilization.
  
  ~Louis makes a note to himself to check out areas Wes Murphy may have been. Train in the forest, wetlands, ruins.
  
  ~Louis makes a note to remind himself to write a letter to his parents and send his children and
  Anne out of town as it is too dangerous.
  
  ~Dr Sullivan sends message to Louis about Wes Murphy. Needs another consultation to understand his jabber. Notifies the sheriff as well.
  
  ~Louis marks the above note with a message telling his Uncle, he should know were to find him.
  
  
• 03/14/1926 - Train ticket from Pestisville to Providence purchased by Louis. For use both ways.
  
  
• 03/15/1926 - Louis Martin checks out of the Drunken Sailor Inn.
  
  
• 03/17/1926 - Andy Milkway checks out of the Drunken Sailor Inn.
  
  ~Louis is trapped in the hospital. Barricaded in the cantine. Describes attackers as "Swarm of godless savages from the sea abyss."
  
  ~The priest or journalist arrives in Pestisville.

Aiden MacDonald

• Running a mayoral campaign against Benjamin Mahoney
  
• Wants to have a detailed inspection of Milkway's Processing Plant as his first ordinace
  
• Believes Petisville is rotten by the power of the Mahoney's family ruling the area for generations.
  
• Has gone missing

Andy Milkway

• Member of the Northern Hunters
  
• Owns the processing plant in Pestisville. Named Milkways's Processing Plant
  
• Has secret lab constructed underneath the plant
  
• Left the Drunken Sailor Inn shorty after Louis. (May have been following him)

Anne Martin

• Married to Louis Martin with children

Barry Lewis

• Navigator for the Blue Squid
  
• During a voyage he gets a fever and the condition worsened over time.
  
• His jacket can be found in the Secret Lab under the Milkway's Processing Plant

Benjamin Mahoney

• Member of the Northern Hunters, most likely the leader
  
• Mayor of Pestisville
  
• Generational wealth and power from the Mahoney Family
  
• Appears to be the leader of the Cult

Louis Martin

• Married to Anne Martin with children
  
• Owns a antique shop in Pestisville
  
• Friends with Prof. I Jones
  
• In contact with Dr Sullivan
  
• Investigating the cult
  
• May be able to understand the unknown language as indicated by his notes and Dr Sullivan
  
• Is the cousin of the priest or journalist
  
• Sends the message bringing the priest or journalist to the town

Man at Cthulhu Save Statues

• Appears to be no friend of the old gods as he squishes a tentacle under his bottle, helps the protagonist, and seems to get killed for his actions at the end of the game.
  
• May be a normal human who happened upon a power or a old god himself
  
• Small chance he may be Wes Murphy

Reverend Wildshire

• Member of the Northern Hunters
  
• Most likely the priest of Pestisville

Tom Phillips

• Captain of the Blue Squid ship
  
• Was imprisoned on his ship by his own crew
  
• His apparent grave is in the Pestisville graveyard yet you speak to a monster version of him on the Blue Squid during the game

Wes Murphy

• Nickname Old Murphy
  
• Victim of the cult
  
• Patient in hospital that was in catatonic state
  
• Treated with drugs and electric shock therapy
  
• Led to convulsions and speaking in a unknown language

Sarah MacDonald

• Louis mentions her in his notes in relation to a locker. Is this locker 12E at the docks?
  
• Did Sarah/Aiden give information to Louis?

Samantha Morgan

• Patient in the Hospital
  
• Case description: Nightmares, suicidal thoughts
  
• May get a lobotomy if strong psychotropic drugs don't work

Dr. Sullivan

• Works at the hospital
  
• Trying to understand Wes Murphy and consults Louis to help

Prof. I Jones

• Professor at the Archeology institute on Providence

Captain Banecroft

• Found dead in the Harbor
  
• Was helping recruiting volunteers for fishing

Members of the Northern Hunters

• Charles Maxwell
  
• Anthony Kaminsky
  
• Thomas Jefferson
  
• Ted Anderson
  
• Charlie Edwards

People who stayed at the Drunken Sailor Inn

• Edward Bradley
  
• Charles Kaufman
  
• Steve Doors

Mysterious/Unknown characters

• Saul
  
• Emma
  
• Catherine

When playing though the Wetlands you find this note.
It appears to be a unknown Father speaking to another unknown man about his Wife Catherine and daughter named Emma. It is possible he is saying "good man" as a stand in for "dear god".

Later when traveling though the Gutter you come upon this ring.
It mentions Emma again and an unknown man named Saul. It is unlikely the writer of the last note is Saul as it seems to point to the Father. And while a Father and daughter having a ring together isn't impossible it seems more likely for something a couple would get. The text on the ring "One ring to bond us together" stands out as 3 story notes thought out the game say "Preach the glory of the Lord of Eternity together". Focus on the word "together"

So why is this important?
Despite being very unexplained it may yet have a connection to the priest or journalist....

Towards the end of the game when our psyche is at its most broken point, hopping though dimensional portals left and right. We end up in a place the priest or journalist are familiar with. Their office.


Interestingly the rooms have two unique items depending on who you are playing, with the picture on the desk and the clothes on the wall changing.

As the priest


As the journalist


The two other items of note are always in the room no matter who we are playing as.
A book telling us to Preach the glory of the lord of eternity together. Were we members of the cult?


The last item is a Ring that looks VERY similar to the one found in the gutter. Left is the office ring. Right is the gutter ring.

Are they the same ring? Just a similar looking ring? A reused asset? Hard to say.

Both the priest and journalist claimed that the office was theirs at some point. They both believe Louis to be their cousin and that Pestisville is their hometown.

• Perhaps their minds are melding with Louis
  
• Perhaps their minds are melding with someone else.
  
• Perhaps Emma and Saul are our characters though unlikely as priests generally can't get married. Unless the ring has nothing to do with marriage.
  
• Perhaps the priest is reverend Wildshire who left Pestisville and returned and forgot who he was.

Interestingly a note in the beginning of the game refers to Louis uncle despite both characters claiming he is a cousin. Ultimately there isn't enough information to go on.

Now the elephant in the room is the ending. After we beat Cthulhu we awake in a hospital strapped to a bed and are told we killed all the townspeople and Louis. We have an unreliable Narrator on top of the character we are playing as being unreliable interpreter of events. The ending leaves us with 3 possible scenarios.

• 1 Almost everything paranormal was in the characters head.
  
• 2 A mix of what happened during the game truly happened and some of it was in their head.
  
• 3 The cult and the narrator are gas-lighting you.

I believe 2 is the most likely scenario and the most satisfying from a story prospective. It seems very plausible that most of the events prior to the priest or journalist arriving in Pestisville have happened. We seemed to have lapses in memory in-between levels were we sometimes show up in strange positions but are generally heading a specific direction. It is possible we were used by the cult to silence our cousin Louis but they lost control. Our Characters situation may be similar to the many people who went missing. With Forgive me fathers 2 plot revolving around us regaining our sanity we shall see.

• Who is this physic reader and why does their poster appear so often?
  
  
  
• The rock found in the Garden is probably related to the oval key part and the key Sullivan gives as the game states it is made of meteorite rock.
  
  
  
• Dormants written on the wall in the beginning is seemly never explained.
  
  
  
• A watch can be found in the Mountains with the initials B.M.. Most likely belonging to Benjamin Mahoney. Why was it left there? Was he kidnapped and turned crazy when he went missing or was he always the cult leader?
  
  
  
• This cult book appears to have 5 different languages on the cover including Latin, Zulu, Swedish, and possibly Greek. I believe it to be about the cults traditions.
  
  
  
• Are these actual constellations?
  
  
  
• Who is this women? Emma? Anne?
  
  
  
• Why do we find this locket at the end of the game?
  
  
  
  
• Our character remembers leaving it in the ruins but when we see it in game it's in the gardens. Does this point to our memories being confused with Louis?
  
  
• The tiny paper with 12E on it matches the locker we find in the Harbor with these items in it
  
  
• Who gave this information to Louis? Anne? Sarah? Aiden though using Sarah?

2001: A space Odyssey


Dark Souls


Doctor Who


G-Man lives
Trying staring at the headstone for a minute in game for a reward...


Han Solo


Indiana Jones



One piece


The Shining


The Dark Knight

Robert E. Howard


August Derleth


H. P. Lovecraft


Edgar Allan Poe


Clark Ashton Smith


Auther Machen


Stephen King