Characters will be members of Pine Hollow Supernatural Investigations, a paranormal investigation team that does everything from exorcisms to trapping chupacabras. As the requirement for a position with the company is a six-month training course and a high school degree, characters should come from many different species and backgrounds. This RP will be as much about character interaction as it will be about plot, so there's a greater emphasis on the personality and bio sections than there is on the species and appearance section. Here are some words from the original creator for further explanation.

As far as characters go, I'd expect them to be like something out of a movie or comic book from the 80s, while also being a recognizable and relatable character. Not that they have to be a shallow joke or anything like that, but I would just prefer if that was the direction which characters were built in, if that makes any sense. Regarding their "supernatural" elements, I'm pretty open, so feel free to send ideas my way for us to discuss. However, I'd like to make the point that this is not an RP about "humans with powers," as much as it is about "inhuman monsters."

The player characters will essentially be supernatural beings that have come to use their power to fight back against the emerging evils and dangers within the supernatural community, which may be spilling over or bleeding into the "mundane" underworld. Their motivations, altruistic or otherwise, I leave up to you. I should note that while the characters should be defined as "not human," they should be human enough mentally or spiritually to be at least somewhat relatable. I'm not looking for Cthulhu's third cousin, here; utterly bizarre and alien in mindset. Honestly, if you stick with the Universal stable of monsters (we're in Hollywood, after all), you won't go wrong by me.

Here are some possible roles that would fit in the rp -- by no means are these the only available, just throwing ideas out there to help flesh out the tone and what to aim for.

• A werewolf who lobbies for Lycanthrope rights in their spare time, who frequently speaks out at panels in Town Hall about the ease silver bullets can be purchased.

• A vampire who purchases blood from butchers in an effort to avoid snapping and turning their non-vampire partner.

• A ghost who has forgotten why they do not want to leave this plane, who now spends their days working as a night guard.

• A vampire hunter hunter.

Being Human: A cast of classic hammer-horror characters struggling getting by on a day-to-day basis is a core theme of the RP, so it moves to the top of the inspiration list.

Supernatural: Think early supernatural, before it got all biblical and shit. Our characters should not be as cool as the Winchesters, but it's fair to assume they'd be as well prepared.

Gravity Falls: A universe that has gnomes and little green men iand terrifying demons and horrorterrors? Check!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The reason Buffy isn't higher on the inspirations list than Supernatural is because Buffy is sometimes too cheesy. On another hand, now seems an opportune moment to mention that we can definitely focus on subplots unrelated to supernatural shenanigans in the same way as BtVS.

Welcome to Night Vale: Don't worry, we're probably not gonna get that strange. Main takeaway here is that the town is fundamentally weird, and will have a "cast" of regularly appearing NPCs representing various degrees of the supernatural.

In The Flesh: The same original theme of "supernatural folk getting by", but also, drama about things that don't pertain to their supernatural characteristics. I don't just want to see werewolves, I want to see werewolves struggling with alimony payments.

X-Files: Because the answer to any given question has an equal likeliness of being "demons" or "cryptids". Though I'd like to stray away from aliens for the most part, I wouldn't object to a stranded grey alien in our ranks, if that's your thing.

1. Basic guild rules apply.
2. Be excellent to each other.
3. Use proper grammar and syntax. Each post should be a minimum of three paragraphs.
4. No speedposting.

Though Pine Hollow has an abundance of supernatural citizens, humans still hold a slightly higher population percentage. In addition, because most families are either entirely human or comprised of a human and a supernatural being, humans are still the most represented group of Pine Hollow.

The forest surrounding Pine Hollow is known by the locals as the Barrens -- aptly named for the inhospitable soil brought on by layers of pine needles. Aside from the pine trees, many types of thistles, bushes, briars, and a species of thorny smilax native to Pine Hollow can be found in the Barrens as well. Other than the pines and their thorny neighbors, little life can be seen in the barrens. The few deciduous trees in the forest are gnarled and black, and not even lichen or moss grows on the many strange stones in the forest. Aside from the flora of the area, it is known for its high population of ghosts, each with varying degrees of malevolence. Tourists and locals alike are warned to not visit the Barrens after dark.

Surrounding Pine Hollow is the concrete moat that is Main Road, a circular road that goes around Pine Hollow's perimeter, separating the Barrens from Pine Hollow. The town has a population of about 2000, which seems large until one takes into account the short but notable drives between homes through patches of winding forest roads, and the percentage of the population that prefers to remain unseen, such as the mole people and bogmen.

Pine Hollow is largely a lower middle-class suburb with a few mom-and-pop family businesses scattered around the town, though most purchase their goods at the vampire-owned MegaMart, a somewhat accepted necessary evil of Pine Hollow and the rest of Western Oregon. Pine Hollow is seen as very rural by outsiders, though it is far from the postcard towns found in most of rural maine. For what it's worth, Pine Hollow is a cluster of blue-collar families and old buildings with peeled paint, slightly separated by swathes of tall, looming pine trees that refuse to be cut.

Zombie: A human who has been reanimated from death, through means of necromancy or science. They are constantly hungry, and though they have cravings for the flesh of the living, many manage to lead productive lives by suppressing their urges with meat-based diets. Most prefer the term "reanimated" due to the connotations associated with "zombie".

Alien: Short and grey-skinned, little is known about our extraterrestrial neighbors other than their intelligence and affinity for hot desert climates.

Chupacabra: A Mexican variant of the Common Goblin, with a penchant for red meat. Most are about three feet tall, and resemble bipedal, hairless coyotes. They are a protected species.

Swamp Creature: A fishlike humanoid. Despite their species name, Swamp Creatures are found in freshwater and saltwater alike. However, only 4% of Swamp Creatures live outside of Louisiana.

Ghost: The soul of a deceased human who has unfinished business on earth. Most are harmless, though some enjoy frightening humans. Particularly vengeful or angry ghosts are known as poltergeists, which are considerably more dangerous.

Werewolf: Technically a human with an incurable disease, werewolves are humans who turn into large bipedal wolves when in sight of a full moon.



Sasquatch: A tall, apelike hominid. Originally seen as stewards of the forest, their numbers have been steadily declining for decades.

Goblin: Short, scrawny and green. They are known for stealing babies and replacing them with one of their own, which is called a changeling.


Vampire: A human who has been given vampirism. Other than a set of retractable fangs and pale skin, vampires are virtually indistinguishable from humans, and stop aging after they have been turned. Sunlight harms them, but is not instantly fatal. As undead, they are vulnerable to holy symbols.



Demon: In short, Demons are technically the ghosts of the exceptionally cruel and evil. They are much more powerful than ghosts and poltergeists, and are usually dealt with by trained, professional exorcists. Usually, humans who become demons after dying follow one of the three Abrahamic religions -- Christians and Jews become demons, while Muslims become jinns.

By and large, magic has mostly left this world. Only some are born able to perform magic, and few ever even become aware of it. Aside from that, magic is seen as unpredictable, dangerous, and usually the least practical solution to any problem.

Even with its waning popularity, there are still some wizards in the business of charming devices, cursing people, and (very rarely) reanimating the dead for various fees. Though it isn't known to the public, America's most highly guarded buildings (The Oval Office, Fort Knox, Guantanamo Bay, etc.) feature some kind of magical protection as well.

Founded in 1950, PHPI has been Pine Hollow's sole paranormal investigation company for thirty seven years. Originally solely a private investigations company, PHPI now offers services for nearly every matter pertaining to the paranormal, from paranormal animal control to performing excorcisms, providing paranormal protection to city property, and a multitude of other jobs. Though originally a well-respected company, the lessening demand for a private investigations company in a small, sleepy town has left them with a severe lack of funding.

Though they have a crew of office workers such as secretaries and accountants, the most common job at PHPI is Investigation. Investigators are equipped with standard equipment for dealing with vampires and other undead such as ghosts and poltergeists, as well as nets, bear mace, and steel cages for paranormal creatures with less sentience.
_{Use the Ghostbuster's office interior for any picture references, save for the pole.}

Name: Nathan Bishop
AKA: (Former) Detective Bishop, Nate, The Phantom PI
Gender: Male
Age: 31
Race: Human - Spirit Host
Position: Investigator
Appearance: An african-american of relatively average physical build and only just evening out at 5’10, Nate was probably the less imposing one of the two when he and Gabe were partners in the LAPD. In line with his cop days, he’s kept his hair fairly short whilst doing the same for any facial hair that dares crop up without his consent, leaving his face nicely smooth and clean-shaven and going well with his calm, hazel eyes.

As a throwback to his detective days (and as a partial consequence of picking up some of Gabe’s mannerisms) he usually wears a shirt with matching pants and work shoes, often wearing a tie and occasionally even a coat in the process, depending on the circumstances. When he carries his S&W .38 special, he usually keeps it in a shoulder holster which, conveniently enough, also tucks neatly under his coat when it needs to.
Abilities: Nate's connection to a spirit allows him to immediately distinguish whether or not an individual or object is mundane or supernatural in nature. It’s akin to being able to see in colour in a colourblind environment, so to speak. This also gives Nate, to a certain degree, a sixth sense - allowing him to sense anything out of the ordinary in his environment.

Finally, this connection serves as a two-way street; basically, if he were to suffer a life threatening injury, whilst this won't heal him or give him a get-out-of-jail free ticket it'll certainly give his body a jumpstart and slightly tip the odds in his favour, as Gabe’s spirit helps anchor his own in this world.

Of course, there’s a certain side-effect to this connection; Nate’s occasionally picked up one or two mannerisms and ‘aspects’ off of Gabe due to their spiritual bond, to the point he’s gained fondness for things he once had nothing to do with (a newly acquired taste for scotch and tequila are examples) or, more noticeably and alarmingly, the colour of his eyes briefly changing to match Nate’s.

Backstory:

Nathan 'Nate' Bishop was once an up-and-coming detective among many working for Los Angeles' finest with a career path that seemed to be headed to the top. Partnered with and mentored by one Gabriel Ward, a senior detective who saw something in the kid, the two made a fine duo, cracking cases left and right together. Yet there was one case that had for many months proved impossible to crack, despite a wealth of information - a series of ritual murders that seemed to be linked to something far more sinister in the City of Angels' seedy underbelly. Whoever, or whatever was behind it seemed.... unearthly. Something beyond the mundane world.

Gabe took a particular interest in the case due to its similarity to a similar cold case from the earliest days of his career, even going so far as to chase up his own leads outside of work in an attempt to find out what the hell was going on. It proved to be his undoing - a few days later, Nate received a phone call in the early hours of the morning - one that he promptly hung up on and took off in his car to disprove. Arriving at the scene, he found his partner dead - killed via the same disturbing, ritualistic method as all the others. Another good man dead because of this monster.

Despite being told by his superiors to let it go, Nate refused to allow the trail to go cold and spent months sifting through case files and evidence lockers, desperate for any lead even if it meant he hardly ate or slept because of it. Eventually Nate's superior ordered him on a paid suspension for several weeks to stop him from working himself to death, yet even that didn't deter him - instead he went and chased up his own leads as Gabe had, ignoring the immense risk he was taking.

Out of options, he tried visiting where they'd found Gabe's body - the scene of the last murder. It occurred to Nate that there had to be some kind of connection that he could grab onto here, if only small, yet instead of a lead he found something better. For a moment, he'd have sworn he heard a familiar voice - was he losing it? He thought so, yet the voice spoke again and he recognised who it was. He turned around to face the voice and found a familiar, albeit ethereal face. Gabe.

For a moment Nate thought he'd finally lost it, or that his lack of sleep had took a toll. He panicked and made a sharp entry yet on the way out he forgot to look before he crossed the road and wound up having a disagreement with a station wagon as it turned around the corner. Blacking out for a few minutes, when he woke up he found two people standing over him - one was obviously the driver of the station wagon, the other was Gabe. Seemingly unharmed by the encounter, he quickly dismissed the driver of the station wagon and went for a long walk - hoping to shake whatever it was off. It was only when Gabe finally spoke again and this time explained his predicament:

The grisly method of execution the killer had enacted upon him was a ritual which left his spirit bound to the crime scene. Since Nate was the only one who had such a close connection with him, Gabe was able to appear - if only for a brief moment - and would've tried to explain the circumstances had it not been for the former running off. That knock on the head he'd took from the car had almost killed him, enough to briefly separate his spirit from his body if only for a few seconds. With that window of opportunity, Gabe had jumped onboard Nate's body like a passenger in a car, jumpstarting his body up in the process and pulling the two of them into a new world.

Aside from teaching Nate that the world was nowhere near as mundane as it seemed - their ritualistic killer was just an example of what the supernatural world has to offer - Gabe’s presence had bestowed him with a number of tricks, one of which was the ability to immediately distinguish between the mundane and supernatural.

Under (literal) spiritual guidance, Nate used his newly-found perspective to track down his old partner’s killer - a vampire who restrained his victims and then used precise incisions with a ritual knife to drain their blood into a container below, using it to mark a series of symbols as some kind of tribute to an ancient deity, trapping the spirits of the dead at their respective murder scenes as a side effect of this tribute. Forced to act in urgence, Nate was forced to stake the killer in the heart with their own ritual knife.

Case cracked, Nate assumed that this meant Gabe would join the rest of the killer’s victims in finding a peace in the afterlife - yet it seems the senior of the two had other plans. Being an honest-to-god cop through and through, Gabe had left this earthly plain with plenty of unfinished business - thinking of all the unsolved cases still out there. Instead he told the kid he planned on sticking around.

From there, the two continued their partnership - albeit differently. Leaving LA and the department behind, they found themselves drawn to Pine Hollow and wound up joining the Supernatural Investigation Agency.

Other notes:

• Nate drives a '72 Imperial LeBaron, again as a throwback to his LAPD days as it was the car he bought shortly after his promotion to detective.
• In addition to his S&W Model 15 he owns the snubnose variant as well for concealment and an Ithaca 37 "Stakeout" shotgun which he keeps in the trunk of his car, more out of habit than necessity.
• His exposures to the supernatural world have left him making several 'preparations' to handle certain situations. For instance, holy water and crucifixes for dealing with troublesome vampires (Even if they're just placebos, it works wonders on scaring the dumber ones into co-operating with him), a silver knife and a couple of silver .38 bullets after a particularly troublesome run-in with an angry werewolf and so on.
• He's quite the scifi fan and among other things he keeps a number of films among his video tape collection, including Terminator and Predator among others. And yes, he's a Schwarzenegger fan too.

Name: Gabriel Ward
AKA: Gabe
Gender: Male
Age: 49 (At the time of his death)
Race: Ghost
Occupation: LAPD Detective (At the time of his death)
Appearance: Whilst alive, Gabe stood at a height of 5’10 and with his stocky build he looked like he could hold his own in the rougher parts of town. His hair had prematurely started graying as a consequence of his long career, though he kept it fairly short-and-simple on his head whilst across his weathered face was a neatly trimmed beard that went well with his sharp, blue eyes. As a detective, he was seldom seen without his pale-blue shirt with the matching tie and pants, and sometimes he was even known to wear a coat when it suited him.

Now, as a ghost - he hasn’t changed that much. Rather, he’s just gained an ethereal quality to his overall appearance, coming across as somewhat translucent with a vague unearthly outline. His eyes stand out more than anything now - having taken on an even sharper quality than they had in life.

Abilities: Being a ghost with a non-corporeal form, Gabriel is capable of passing through any solid matter that doesn’t have some form of supernatural protection on it, allowing him to survey his surroundings without too much trouble - the only problem is that he’s limited in how far he can actually travel. Whilst Nate’s keeping him anchored in this world, it also means he can only move so far away from him before he’s unable to move any further - akin to trying to pass through a steel wall.

Also, being a ghost - he doesn’t particularly have the ability to exert any physical influence on individuals or objects in the real world, the only exception being those whom he has/had a strong connection with or those of a supernatural nature. Whilst we’re on this subject, it’s also worth mentioning that Gabe is only visible to Nate and those who have the ability to see ghosts, such as members of the supernatural world.
Backstory: Refer to the above.
Other notes:

• Has an ex-wife and a daughter who moved to Pine Hollow shortly after he died. He still keeps tabs on them by using Nate as a proxy.
• Shares Nate's love for scifi and other cult classics. As it happens, being able to watch VHS tapes in the office is a great way of relieving the eternal boredom that can come with being dead.

Name
Sadao Huro Kazuhara

Age
95 Years Old

Gender
Male

Position
Detective

Species
Undead - Reanimated

Appearance
Sadao is very much the typical skeleton, in that he is just a skeleton. Upon further inspection, one may find his bone structure to be that of East Asian peoples, for he is Japanese.

Personality
Sadao is a lost soul. He began life in a small town in the countryside of Japan before WWII, where he learned that his life could go beyond farming the land. He wanted more, to serve a greater cause, and he found that in the Japanese Imperial Army during WWII. He did not participate in the bombing of Pearl Harbor because he was still training then, but he did have his finest hour during a skirmish in the Pacific against the US Navy. His plane was shot beyond all repair and he was already suffering from head trauma. Bleeding from the head, he accepted his fate and chose to face it with dignity. He drove his plane into one of the US ships but at the last minute, his wing was clipped by another kamikaze and bumped off course.

He plummeted into the water and the impact knocked him unconscious before he drowned. The next thing he knew, he woke up on a beach, surrounded by tribals. He and his reanimated fellows were put to work as slaves of the Chief. He was not satisfied with this. On his 20th year of slavery, he killed one of his captors and began his swim towards anywhere. His undead nature meant that he had unlimited stamina, for he had no use for dead lungs or rotting muscles, being bound together by dark magic. Sadao is deeply concerned with notions of honor and brotherhood, though he is haunted by feelings of failure and listlessness. He happened to swim to Oregon, where he was mistaken for a floating corpse by the Coast Guard and taken back to be buried. Instead of staying in the ground, he dug himself out. It’s been a while since then, but he found Pine Hollow and took up residence.

Other
Sadao lives in a simple A-frame house a ways away from town, and prefers it that way. He is introverted and fills his time meditating on the purpose of his life, though he is yet to find it. His house is sparse, only containing a couch with a lamp next to it, a bookshelf filled with books. He also has a very large supply of chewing gum, because, “Sometimes, I miss eating, but I can not taste. So, I only chew and try to remember.”