~Manor North~
Located along the English coastline Manor North is a three story sprawling structure with two full wings. In addition to the wings the manor has an attached tower which rises another three stories above the third floor. The manors grounds spread out around the house and feature a garden, green houses, statuary, hedge maze, and stables. Inside can be found a dining room, ballroom, kitchens, atrium, den, study, parlor, library with attached reading room, numerous bedrooms for staff, family members, guests and many rooms which the family have not used in years waiting to share their secrets.
Surrounding the manner can be found the Northam family crypt, the edge of the forest which surrounds the edge of coastline, a set of stairs that lead down a perilous cliff face to the cove, and the open tall grasses of the cliff tops. The road towards civilization leads directly away from the front of the manor.
The surrounding woods and the sea caves along the cove hold their own dark secrets yet to be discovered.
The Family, Friends and Staff
Despite its generally haunted appearance the manor is actually home to several members of the Northam family, a handful of friends and guests, and of course the small largely silent brigade of house staff which keep the manor house from falling apart any further.
The Nitty Gritty
Inspiration will be drawn largely from the works of Stoker, Shelley, Lovecraft, Poe, Radcliffe and others of the Gothic Genre. So this means you will get a healthy dose of the supernatural. From a mechanical standpoint this is acheived by the Manor itself being a draw for the supernatural. Eventually you may even discover why the manor is the way it is and like all good stories when the source of the problem is dealt with our story will end. Ghosts haunt it, Werewolves and stranger things prowl the woods, in some places the house may even be alive, and naturally with Lovecraft fueling the fire you may encounter things of an eldritch or a cosmic nature. I will be doing my best to push forward a particular mystery that Lord North is personally wrapped up in however I encourage you all to develop other strange goings on that trouble your own character and may draw others in. After all we all live in the same strange house.
We will keep track of the ongoing “Strange Phenomena” on the character sheet. I just ask that you give me a general idea of where you want to go with your plot and then a name to refer to it as. Generally speaking you should also have a way of dealing with the Phenomena and some keep points to hit towards solving the mystery.
The Strange and Supernatural
So what is fair game? Really anything that fits the theme of gothic or cosmic horror. I recommend drawing on the classics for inspiration. So to make things simple I will provide you a list to get your minds working on what sort of supernatural things may be appropriate to encounter within or around Manor North.
- All things Mythos, Lovecraft and beyond.
- Vampires, classic is better so do your best to avoid 30 Days of Night and Salem’s Lot
- Werewolves, specifically in the style of the Loup Garou or Rougarou
- The undead: Ghosts, Zombies, Revenants, and so on.
- The arcane: Witches, Warlocks, and Cultists.
- The Unholy: Demons and evil spirits.
- Anything else you want to try and take a horror twist on. I recommend sticking to the european traditions.
A note: I have every intention of using the middle eastern and far eastern traditions of monsters, as well as even potentially the native american however I would like to use them sparingly. These things should be rarer. Additionally they fit the theme for “Strange Phenomena abroad” so It would be nice to keep them as such....unless we bring home a hitchhiker.
Can I be supernatural
I would encourage you to avoid being overly supernatural. Please no vampires, ghosts, werewolves, eldritch abominations, frankenstein’s monsters, etc. At Least not initially, it maybe your character gets possessed by a ghost, bitten by a vampire, a werewolf, has a strange rite performed on them, etc. If that happens keep in mind that all of these things are bad. At their heart they make you a monster no matter how good you intentions. You will become a danger for the other occupants of the house and will need to be dealt with.
If your character is a psychic, a mild daubler in the alchemical, the arcane, or just has a particular supernatural quirk. These are totally acceptable and in fact encourage. The manor attracts strange things and your character should be a reflection of that. Simply keep in mind that even these things should be a taint or a strain for your character as the darkness can drag even the best down.
