NationStates

What do you think happened to Benny? SInce his body was never found, his dad killed himself and his mom gets confined.

And who was his imaginary friend, could it be Dark Bear?

Islamic Republic e Jariri wrote:What do you think happened to Benny?

At best, he is mercy killed. At worst, he is a thrall for the twilight zone...

Danceria wrote:

Islamic Republic e Jariri wrote:What do you think happened to Benny?

At best, he is mercy killed. At worst, he is a thrall for the twilight zone...

Do you think its related somehow to Dark Bear and whatever dark arts he practised that tainted the forest and caused subsequent hauntings related one way or another back to the forest - or could the forest itself have been some kind of entity that tainted Dark Bear?

Islamic Republic e Jariri wrote:

Danceria wrote:At best, he is mercy killed. At worst, he is a thrall for the twilight zone...

Do you think its related somehow to Dark Bear and whatever dark arts he practised that tainted the forest and caused subsequent hauntings related one way or another back to the forest - or could the forest itself have been some kind of entity that tainted Dark Bear?

Perhaps. But then we would be venturing into spoiler territory.

The power that Dark Bear utilized is very much alive and well, not confined to Woodview (as demonstrated by Donny's account). Whatever this thing is, it's attempting to utilize technology (in the form of VHS tapes) to cause some sort of nonsense. Methinks the Murder House is a red herring. Attempting to misdirect people away from the testimonies that Monty, Donny, and Lucas had in common.

Whatever it is we're dealing with, it is very much capable of causing irrationality, as demonstrated by the Murder House, and the duel with the hillbilly. But I suspect this is largely to keep people off the scent, to have authorities rationalize it as some sort of plague/fungus deal, or something else entirely. That isn't to say what we're dealing with isn't perfectly scientific (though, more science fiction than actual science, perhaps this world's version of Cordyceps Fungus), but fear is a destructive factor, not a constructive one.

Once we have removed the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be considered true.

Islamic Republic e Jariri wrote:What do you think happened to Benny?

To be honest- trying to imagine what it could have been is currently too freightening for me to discuss. I'll think of something and it's too unsettling to utter.

I must congradulate Main Nation Ministry for that story- I thought the tale of Dark Bear was as horrible as we'd get but- you have proven me wrong.

Things are going to get interesting, and my mind is struggling to think of how to proceed. I've re-written my post five times now thinking of how to proceed.

Ya know, I'm gonna post what I have and see where it goes.

Danceria wrote:

Islamic Republic e Jariri wrote:
Do you think its related somehow to Dark Bear and whatever dark arts he practised that tainted the forest and caused subsequent hauntings related one way or another back to the forest - or could the forest itself have been some kind of entity that tainted Dark Bear?

Perhaps. But then we would be venturing into spoiler territory.

The power that Dark Bear utilized is very much alive and well, not confined to Woodview (as demonstrated by Donny's account). Whatever this thing is, it's attempting to utilize technology (in the form of VHS tapes) to cause some sort of nonsense. Methinks the Murder House is a red herring. Attempting to misdirect people away from the testimonies that Monty, Donny, and Lucas had in common.

Whatever it is we're dealing with, it is very much capable of causing irrationality, as demonstrated by the Murder House, and the duel with the hillbilly. But I suspect this is largely to keep people off the scent, to have authorities rationalize it as some sort of plague/fungus deal, or something else entirely. That isn't to say what we're dealing with isn't perfectly scientific (though, more science fiction than actual science, perhaps this world's version of Cordyceps Fungus), but fear is a destructive factor, not a constructive one.

Once we have removed the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be considered true.

If its not bound geographically to Woodview then Donny's account would seem to suggest that this force of evil or otherwordly power is bound to bloodline. That Beast, whatever it was pursued Donny and his uncle and it seems the Dorians had a history of using talismans to keep this force under control.

They were hunting outside Woodview?

Then its not just the Dorians, there's also the Drenson's whose ancestors literally fought against a force of darkness and a strange creature that shouldn't exist. Nothing so far to suggest the two families ever united against it but if this power remembers the blood of those who defied it then there are currently two of them in the same place, possibly at the very heart of this darkness in the forest.

Islamic Republic e Jariri wrote:

Danceria wrote:Perhaps. But then we would be venturing into spoiler territory.

The power that Dark Bear utilized is very much alive and well, not confined to Woodview (as demonstrated by Donny's account). Whatever this thing is, it's attempting to utilize technology (in the form of VHS tapes) to cause some sort of nonsense. Methinks the Murder House is a red herring. Attempting to misdirect people away from the testimonies that Monty, Donny, and Lucas had in common.

Whatever it is we're dealing with, it is very much capable of causing irrationality, as demonstrated by the Murder House, and the duel with the hillbilly. But I suspect this is largely to keep people off the scent, to have authorities rationalize it as some sort of plague/fungus deal, or something else entirely. That isn't to say what we're dealing with isn't perfectly scientific (though, more science fiction than actual science, perhaps this world's version of Cordyceps Fungus), but fear is a destructive factor, not a constructive one.

Once we have removed the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be considered true.

If its not bound geographically to Woodview then Donny's account would seem to suggest that this force of evil or otherwordly power is bound to bloodline. That Beast, whatever it was pursued Donny and his uncle and it seems the Dorians had a history of using talismans to keep this force under control.

They were hunting outside Woodview?

Then its not just the Dorians, there's also the Drenson's whose ancestors literally fought against a force of darkness and a strange creature that shouldn't exist. Nothing so far to suggest the two families ever united against it but if this power remembers the blood of those who defied it then there are currently two of them in the same place, possibly at the very heart of this darkness in the forest.

Not only that- but I now have a mystery of my own- what's Monty's father protecting her from? Why doesn't she tell her more and since he's working with both the Drensons and Dorians, and desires not to take a side- how far does this struggle go? How much of a role does it play daily in the events around Woodview?

Harbertia wrote:

Islamic Republic e Jariri wrote:What do you think happened to Benny?

To be honest- trying to imagine what it could have been is currently too freightening for me to discuss. I'll think of something and it's too unsettling to utter.

I must congradulate Main Nation Ministry for that story- I thought the tale of Dark Bear was as horrible as we'd get but- you have proven me wrong.

Things are going to get interesting, and my mind is struggling to think of how to proceed. I've re-written my post five times now thinking of how to proceed.

Thanks for congratulating me.

Harbertia wrote:

Islamic Republic e Jariri wrote:
If its not bound geographically to Woodview then Donny's account would seem to suggest that this force of evil or otherwordly power is bound to bloodline. That Beast, whatever it was pursued Donny and his uncle and it seems the Dorians had a history of using talismans to keep this force under control.

They were hunting outside Woodview?

Then its not just the Dorians, there's also the Drenson's whose ancestors literally fought against a force of darkness and a strange creature that shouldn't exist. Nothing so far to suggest the two families ever united against it but if this power remembers the blood of those who defied it then there are currently two of them in the same place, possibly at the very heart of this darkness in the forest.

Not only that- but I now have a mystery of my own- what's Monty's father protecting her from? Why doesn't she tell her more and since he's working with both the Drensons and Dorians, and desires not to take a side- how far does this struggle go? How much of a role does it play daily in the events around Woodview?

I spun it in such a way that Papa Strumvitner must've thought that the Dorians brought a banshee along with them, and did the genre savvy thing of "not letting the kid near the spooky thing." When the problem was found out and filled with lead and told to go directly to the bottom of the ocean, don't pass go, don't collect $200 we assume it's dead, and hasn't reeled it's head in a while. Perhaps a timeline of events was thus.

Dark Bear found...something to make it the Ghostwood.
Dorians move into said Ghostwood, and gave it a big middle finger
Legend of the Coal-Black Banshee occurs
Densons oust the Dorians, and the Dorian properties either default to the Densons, or fall into ruin. The old Greyflood Manor near the Ghostwood is overgrown, and you can just barely tell that somebody lived here.

Fast forward roughly a century, and the tale of the Murder House begins, and the tragedies that struck Lucas's mom and company.
But notice the difference between the murders of Mrs. Jackson and the Murder House. The Murder House incident occured in the 70s, roughly twenty years before the Dorians would move in. Then all of the sudden, when our protags got to middle-school, a rash of bad stuff occurred and was thought to be dead.

I'm still banking on the fact that we're dealing with someone who tried to test out whatever Dark Bear found in the forest on the Dorians, and that the Murder House was a separate incident. Or made to look like one.

Danceria wrote:

Harbertia wrote:Not only that- but I now have a mystery of my own- what's Monty's father protecting her from? Why doesn't she tell her more and since he's working with both the Drensons and Dorians, and desires not to take a side- how far does this struggle go? How much of a role does it play daily in the events around Woodview?

I spun it in such a way that Papa Strumvitner must've thought that the Dorians brought a banshee along with them, and did the genre savvy thing of "not letting the kid near the spooky thing." When the problem was found out and filled with lead and told to go directly to the bottom of the ocean, don't pass go, don't collect $200 we assume it's dead, and hasn't reeled it's head in a while. Perhaps a timeline of events was thus.

Dark Bear found...something to make it the Ghostwood.
Dorians move into said Ghostwood, and gave it a big middle finger
Legend of the Coal-Black Banshee occurs
Densons oust the Dorians, and the Dorian properties either default to the Densons, or fall into ruin. The old Greyflood Manor near the Ghostwood is overgrown, and you can just barely tell that somebody lived here.

Fast forward roughly a century, and the tale of the Murder House begins, and the tragedies that struck Lucas's mom and company.
But notice the difference between the murders of Mrs. Jackson and the Murder House. The Murder House incident occured in the 70s, roughly twenty years before the Dorians would move in. Then all of the sudden, when our protags got to middle-school, a rash of bad stuff occurred and was thought to be dead.

I'm still banking on the fact that we're dealing with someone who tried to test out whatever Dark Bear found in the forest on the Dorians, and that the Murder House was a separate incident. Or made to look like one.

I honestly considered having Monty- ok not consider- one of my previous versions of the recent short post was having Monty ask Don to get the flashlights and have everyone trek to the Ghostwoods- but- ya know I have no idea why I even started writing that now. Like I vaguely recall it having something to do with 'no no it's not fine'. But my memory has lapsed again.

This RP is creeping me out. I love it. Also, what if Benny became the wolfman thing?

Danceria wrote:
I spun it in such a way that Papa Strumvitner must've thought that the Dorians brought a banshee along with them, and did the genre savvy thing of "not letting the kid near the spooky thing." When the problem was found out and filled with lead and told to go directly to the bottom of the ocean, don't pass go, don't collect $200 we assume it's dead, and hasn't reeled it's head in a while. Perhaps a timeline of events was thus.

Dark Bear found...something to make it the Ghostwood.
Dorians move into said Ghostwood, and gave it a big middle finger
Legend of the Coal-Black Banshee occurs
Densons oust the Dorians, and the Dorian properties either default to the Densons, or fall into ruin. The old Greyflood Manor near the Ghostwood is overgrown, and you can just barely tell that somebody lived here.

Fast forward roughly a century, and the tale of the Murder House begins, and the tragedies that struck Lucas's mom and company.
But notice the difference between the murders of Mrs. Jackson and the Murder House. The Murder House incident occured in the 70s, roughly twenty years before the Dorians would move in. Then all of the sudden, when our protags got to middle-school, a rash of bad stuff occurred and was thought to be dead.

I'm still banking on the fact that we're dealing with someone who tried to test out whatever Dark Bear found in the forest on the Dorians, and that the Murder House was a separate incident. Or made to look like one.

The Murder House deaths actually happened in the early to mid 90s. There is a possible connection between the Murder House and Dark Bear, if Dark Bear literally created a curse that affects the whole town of Woodview.

Pax Nerdvana wrote:This RP is creeping me out. I love it. Also, what if Benny became the wolfman thing?

I wasn't planning on Benny being the wolfman, however I did have an idea for what I wanted to happen for Benny. I wouldn't reveal this idea, but let's just say that if someone accidentally finds that VHS tape of Candyland, things will go downhill fast. Also, there's another connection that has to do with the Murder House, but has to do with the first two familcides that happened there.

Main Nation Ministry wrote:

Danceria wrote:
I spun it in such a way that Papa Strumvitner must've thought that the Dorians brought a banshee along with them, and did the genre savvy thing of "not letting the kid near the spooky thing." When the problem was found out and filled with lead and told to go directly to the bottom of the ocean, don't pass go, don't collect $200 we assume it's dead, and hasn't reeled it's head in a while. Perhaps a timeline of events was thus.

Dark Bear found...something to make it the Ghostwood.
Dorians move into said Ghostwood, and gave it a big middle finger
Legend of the Coal-Black Banshee occurs
Densons oust the Dorians, and the Dorian properties either default to the Densons, or fall into ruin. The old Greyflood Manor near the Ghostwood is overgrown, and you can just barely tell that somebody lived here.

Fast forward roughly a century, and the tale of the Murder House begins, and the tragedies that struck Lucas's mom and company.
But notice the difference between the murders of Mrs. Jackson and the Murder House. The Murder House incident occured in the 70s, roughly twenty years before the Dorians would move in. Then all of the sudden, when our protags got to middle-school, a rash of bad stuff occurred and was thought to be dead.

I'm still banking on the fact that we're dealing with someone who tried to test out whatever Dark Bear found in the forest on the Dorians, and that the Murder House was a separate incident. Or made to look like one.

The Murder House deaths actually happened in the early to mid 90s. There is a possible connection between the Murder House and Dark Bear, if Dark Bear literally created a curse that affects the whole town of Woodview.

Pax Nerdvana wrote:This RP is creeping me out. I love it. Also, what if Benny became the wolfman thing?

I wasn't planning on Benny being the wolfman, however I did have an idea for what I wanted to happen for Benny. I wouldn't reveal this idea, but let's just say that if someone accidentally finds that VHS tape of Candyland, things will go downhill fast. Also, there's another connection that has to do with the Murder House, but has to do with the first two familcides that happened there.

Is the Wolf Man that creature Monty saw that her dad wouldn't talk about or the Beast Donny Dorian and his uncle hunted (or both or neither)?

Looks like I'm still a little lost. Perhaps I should make some post to direct the characters in some direction but- I've recently had a slight memory lapse. I was keeping track of things but now- I seem to have lost my page so to speak.

To clarify on my end (though my word be not the end all be all) is that the wolf man and the beast that Uncle Jack Dorian "killed" are one and the same. I was merely insinuating that there was something in the Ghostwood that would have sooner or later been unleashed, supernatural or no. Dark Bear may not have "cursed" the town, but rather brought out the "curse".

Donny speculates that there be some mad pseudoscience goin' on, hence the cordyceps remark. Perhaps investigation of the old Greyflow Manor may reveal some freaky experiments being conducted by the Dorians...like H.P. Lovecraft decided to take a few lessons from Pavlov and other behavioral psychologists and decided to forgo the unpronouncable cosmic horrors and instead go straight psychological. No Shoggoths will (hopefully) be encountered, but you almost wish it was.

This Candyland VHS has really gotten me inspired to up the ante, this time exploring what can be done to a man...and what a man can do to himself.

@Harbetia: If Monty isn't noping the hell out of there, I'm pretty sure that Donny and the rest of the guys will gtfo (and probably carry her out if she's difficult). This chapter could be a set up, a foretaste of things to come. What's a red herring? What is true? How deep does the rabbit hole go? It also allows for the slice of life antics that Life Is Strange and the Archie Comics (ft. The titular Archie) will entail, and allow us to explore this world. After all, only in daylight can we truly find out what goes bump in the night...

Danceria wrote:@Harbetia: If Monty isn't noping the hell out of there, I'm pretty sure that Donny and the rest of the guys will gtfo (and probably carry her out if she's difficult). This chapter could be a set up, a foretaste of things to come. What's a red herring? What is true? How deep does the rabbit hole go? It also allows for the slice of life antics that Life Is Strange and the Archie Comics (ft. The titular Archie) will entail, and allow us to explore this world. After all, only in daylight can we truly find out what goes bump in the night...

I like that- I just had trouble decided to 'nope' the things as I've described Monty as 'chill and cool' and such traits have demnished in her during this conversation. I felt I was being out of character and that caused me to re-write- and I just was unable to actually get it right. Even Jariri noticed that. This sounds like a great plan.

Harbertia wrote:

Danceria wrote:@Harbetia: If Monty isn't noping the hell out of there, I'm pretty sure that Donny and the rest of the guys will gtfo (and probably carry her out if she's difficult). This chapter could be a set up, a foretaste of things to come. What's a red herring? What is true? How deep does the rabbit hole go? It also allows for the slice of life antics that Life Is Strange and the Archie Comics (ft. The titular Archie) will entail, and allow us to explore this world. After all, only in daylight can we truly find out what goes bump in the night...

I like that- I just had trouble decided to 'nope' the things as I've described Monty as 'chill and cool' and such traits have demnished in her during this conversation. I felt I was being out of character and that caused me to re-write- and I just was unable to actually get it right. Even Jariri noticed that. This sounds like a great plan.

I'm myself working through some difficulty with regards to character consistency - I started Marco as a laid back sceptic but after reading everyone's stories and correlating them to his stepfather's demise I had him become more receptive to the unknown to show the tension was getting to him before having him go back into denial despite everything he's hearing because I felt he was getting won over too soon.

His disappointment with Monty is actually him projecting his own insecurity - he thought she'd be the one who wouldn't fall for these tall tales and in a sense therefore back up his own scepticism - but with her own story he now feels more isolated and resentful - on one side feeling as though something sinister is indeed going on but conversely he cannot bear to believe something so horrible and wants to deny its existence, hence his desire to get jacked up on weed hoping the whole situation will just fly by.

Course it won't...

When you just try to write a spook story and you turn this into a horror rp

Tag?


Idk, i dont do Character RPs that much...Hmmm...

I take it we aren't allowed to be armed?

EDIT: just saw the closed bit.

Damn, seemed to have missed this one.

ehh, well, still reading material.

The Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune wrote:When you just try to write a spook story and you turn this into a horror rp

Seems inevitable in retrospect once the stories have implications on the character's lives. Pretty fun though.

Islamic Republic e Jariri wrote:

The Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune wrote:When you just try to write a spook story and you turn this into a horror rp

Seems inevitable in retrospect once the stories have implications on the character's lives. Pretty fun though.

Indeed, I feel like I'm actually going on an adventure even if it's horrific.

Harbertia wrote:

Islamic Republic e Jariri wrote:
Seems inevitable in retrospect once the stories have implications on the character's lives. Pretty fun though.

Indeed, I feel like I'm actually going on an adventure even if it's horrific.

Let's start out our adventure on something a little low key. I do not wish to invoke slasher tropes in this thread.

Harbertia wrote:

Islamic Republic e Jariri wrote:
Seems inevitable in retrospect once the stories have implications on the character's lives. Pretty fun though.

Indeed, I feel like I'm actually going on an adventure even if it's horrific.

Yeah, I'm having fun too.

Main Nation Ministry wrote:

Danceria wrote:
I spun it in such a way that Papa Strumvitner must've thought that the Dorians brought a banshee along with them, and did the genre savvy thing of "not letting the kid near the spooky thing." When the problem was found out and filled with lead and told to go directly to the bottom of the ocean, don't pass go, don't collect $200 we assume it's dead, and hasn't reeled it's head in a while. Perhaps a timeline of events was thus.

Dark Bear found...something to make it the Ghostwood.
Dorians move into said Ghostwood, and gave it a big middle finger
Legend of the Coal-Black Banshee occurs
Densons oust the Dorians, and the Dorian properties either default to the Densons, or fall into ruin. The old Greyflood Manor near the Ghostwood is overgrown, and you can just barely tell that somebody lived here.

Fast forward roughly a century, and the tale of the Murder House begins, and the tragedies that struck Lucas's mom and company.
But notice the difference between the murders of Mrs. Jackson and the Murder House. The Murder House incident occured in the 70s, roughly twenty years before the Dorians would move in. Then all of the sudden, when our protags got to middle-school, a rash of bad stuff occurred and was thought to be dead.

I'm still banking on the fact that we're dealing with someone who tried to test out whatever Dark Bear found in the forest on the Dorians, and that the Murder House was a separate incident. Or made to look like one.

The Murder House deaths actually happened in the early to mid 90s. There is a possible connection between the Murder House and Dark Bear, if Dark Bear literally created a curse that affects the whole town of Woodview.

Pax Nerdvana wrote:This RP is creeping me out. I love it. Also, what if Benny became the wolfman thing?

I wasn't planning on Benny being the wolfman, however I did have an idea for what I wanted to happen for Benny. I wouldn't reveal this idea, but let's just say that if someone accidentally finds that VHS tape of Candyland, things will go downhill fast. Also, there's another connection that has to do with the Murder House, but has to do with the first two familcides that happened there.

Interesting...

Harbertia wrote:

Islamic Republic e Jariri wrote:
Seems inevitable in retrospect once the stories have implications on the character's lives. Pretty fun though.

Indeed, I feel like I'm actually going on an adventure even if it's horrific.

I wonder how Monty will look back on it, assuming she or anyone else makes it through. What happens when people experience horror together - do they become special friends bonded in the aftermath of what they experienced or alternatively see each other as an unwanted reminder of their ordeal.

Course whatever the answer we must be a long way from it.

Danceria wrote:

Harbertia wrote:Indeed, I feel like I'm actually going on an adventure even if it's horrific.

Let's start out our adventure on something a little low key. I do not wish to invoke slasher tropes in this thread.

Good idea to build from low key. Certainly feeling more of a Blair Witch vibe at the moment than slasher.