Okay, here we go. Buckle up. This isn't going to be a pleasant visit.
Welcome to Havenwood, Kansas: Population 71,382 (give or take)
Havenwood looks like any other mid-sized, Midwestern town. Chain restaurants line Main Street, soccer moms drive SUVs, and Friday night lights gleam on the football field. The air smells of corn and exhaust, depending on the wind. A decent place to raise a family, they say. A place where nothing much ever happens.
They're wrong.
Beneath the veneer of normalcy, Havenwood is rotten. It's a breeding ground, a festering wound on the fabric of reality. Something is wrong with the earth here. Something clings to the old places, the dark corners. And it's been getting steadily worse for decades.
The things that lurk are subtle at first. A shadow that moves too quickly. A voice whispering your name when no one is there. A feeling of being watched. Then, it escalates. Nightmares bleed into daylight. Memories become unreliable. People disappear, leaving no trace. Animals act strangely. And the weight of dread settles over the town like a shroud.
The terrifying part? Most people don't notice. Or, if they do, they rationalize it. Chalk it up to stress, a bad dream, a vivid imagination. Havenwood has a way of burying its secrets, of normalizing the abnormal. The collective denial is almost as strong as the darkness itself.
But some of you... you see it. You feel it. You know something is deeply, fundamentally wrong. You're touched. Marked. And now, you're part of the horror.
Rules of Engagement:
Secrecy is Paramount: The most important rule. No one knows about the paranormal in Havenwood. No one. NPCs (Non-Player Characters, i.e., regular townspeople) will react with confusion, disbelief, or outright hostility if you try to explain what you're experiencing. Revealing too much can have consequences that are both social and… other.
No Easy Answers: This isn't a monster-of-the-week scenario. There's no single villain to defeat. The darkness in Havenwood is pervasive, subtle, and ancient. Expect ambiguity, moral quandaries, and frustrating dead ends.
Research is Risky: Libraries, historical societies, old newspapers… these are valuable resources. But delving too deep can attract unwanted attention. Some knowledge is best left buried.
Consequences are Real: Actions have weight. Betrayals, alliances, sacrifices – all of it matters. Your choices will shape the story, and the story is unlikely to have a happy ending.
This is 2004: Cell phones are still somewhat clunky, the internet is relatively slow, and information isn't as readily available as it is today. Rely on landlines, libraries, and face-to-face interaction.
Darkness is Inherent: This is a dark RP. Expect themes of horror, despair, loss, and potentially graphic content. Participate at your own discretion. This is not a heroic tale.
No Godmodding/Powergaming: Don't control other player characters or make your character impossibly powerful. The horror comes from vulnerability, from the slow realization that you are outmatched.
This is player driven. There are no set plots, no overarching story. It's driven by the Player Character's actions, choices and the consequences that follow.
Character Sheet:
Name: (First, Last)
Age: (18+)
Occupation: (What do they do for a living? Student, Bartender, etc.)
Appearance: (Brief description. Be specific. How do they dress? What are their distinguishing features?)
Personality: (What kind of person are they? Are they cynical, optimistic, withdrawn? What are their strengths and weaknesses?)
Background: (A short history of the character. How did they end up in Havenwood? What's their family situation like? What are their hopes and fears?)
The Touch: (This is how the character is connected to the paranormal. Be vague. No superpowers. Instead focus on things like, recurrent nightmares, an unexplained phobia, a feeling of being watched, an uncanny ability to sense shifts in emotions, a fascination with local folklore, etc.) This is not necessarily a power, more like a vulnerability, something that makes you susceptible to the darkness.
Weaknesses: (What are your character's flaws and vulnerabilities? These can be physical, mental, or emotional. They should be REAL. The darkness preys on weakness.)
Motivations: (What do they want? What are they willing to do to get it? Why are they still in Havenwood?)
Example:
Name: Sarah Jenkins
Age: 25
Occupation: Night shift waitress at the Havenwood Diner
Appearance: Tall and lanky, with dark circles under her eyes. Usually wears a faded flannel shirt over a band t-shirt, jeans, and work boots. Has a small scar above her left eyebrow.
Personality: Cynical and world-weary, but with a hidden streak of vulnerability. Tries to be tough, but secretly craves connection. Prone to dark humor and self-destructive habits.
Background: Grew up in Havenwood. Always felt like an outsider. Tried to leave after high school, but things didn't work out. Now she's stuck, working a dead-end job and drinking too much.
The Touch: Has incredibly vivid and realistic dreams, often about places she's never been. Lately, the dreams have been getting darker, more violent, and starting to feel… real.
Weaknesses: Substance abuse, fear of abandonment, tendency to push people away, crippling self-doubt.
Motivations: Wants to escape Havenwood, but doesn't believe she ever will. Secretly hopes to find someone who understands her. Primarily, she just wants to make it to tomorrow.
Ready to enter Havenwood? Be warned: there's no going back.
Welcome to Havenwood, Kansas: Population 71,382 (give or take)
Havenwood looks like any other mid-sized, Midwestern town. Chain restaurants line Main Street, soccer moms drive SUVs, and Friday night lights gleam on the football field. The air smells of corn and exhaust, depending on the wind. A decent place to raise a family, they say. A place where nothing much ever happens.
They're wrong.
Beneath the veneer of normalcy, Havenwood is rotten. It's a breeding ground, a festering wound on the fabric of reality. Something is wrong with the earth here. Something clings to the old places, the dark corners. And it's been getting steadily worse for decades.
The things that lurk are subtle at first. A shadow that moves too quickly. A voice whispering your name when no one is there. A feeling of being watched. Then, it escalates. Nightmares bleed into daylight. Memories become unreliable. People disappear, leaving no trace. Animals act strangely. And the weight of dread settles over the town like a shroud.
The terrifying part? Most people don't notice. Or, if they do, they rationalize it. Chalk it up to stress, a bad dream, a vivid imagination. Havenwood has a way of burying its secrets, of normalizing the abnormal. The collective denial is almost as strong as the darkness itself.
But some of you... you see it. You feel it. You know something is deeply, fundamentally wrong. You're touched. Marked. And now, you're part of the horror.
Rules of Engagement:
Secrecy is Paramount: The most important rule. No one knows about the paranormal in Havenwood. No one. NPCs (Non-Player Characters, i.e., regular townspeople) will react with confusion, disbelief, or outright hostility if you try to explain what you're experiencing. Revealing too much can have consequences that are both social and… other.
No Easy Answers: This isn't a monster-of-the-week scenario. There's no single villain to defeat. The darkness in Havenwood is pervasive, subtle, and ancient. Expect ambiguity, moral quandaries, and frustrating dead ends.
Research is Risky: Libraries, historical societies, old newspapers… these are valuable resources. But delving too deep can attract unwanted attention. Some knowledge is best left buried.
Consequences are Real: Actions have weight. Betrayals, alliances, sacrifices – all of it matters. Your choices will shape the story, and the story is unlikely to have a happy ending.
This is 2004: Cell phones are still somewhat clunky, the internet is relatively slow, and information isn't as readily available as it is today. Rely on landlines, libraries, and face-to-face interaction.
Darkness is Inherent: This is a dark RP. Expect themes of horror, despair, loss, and potentially graphic content. Participate at your own discretion. This is not a heroic tale.
No Godmodding/Powergaming: Don't control other player characters or make your character impossibly powerful. The horror comes from vulnerability, from the slow realization that you are outmatched.
This is player driven. There are no set plots, no overarching story. It's driven by the Player Character's actions, choices and the consequences that follow.
Character Sheet:
Name: (First, Last)
Age: (18+)
Occupation: (What do they do for a living? Student, Bartender, etc.)
Appearance: (Brief description. Be specific. How do they dress? What are their distinguishing features?)
Personality: (What kind of person are they? Are they cynical, optimistic, withdrawn? What are their strengths and weaknesses?)
Background: (A short history of the character. How did they end up in Havenwood? What's their family situation like? What are their hopes and fears?)
The Touch: (This is how the character is connected to the paranormal. Be vague. No superpowers. Instead focus on things like, recurrent nightmares, an unexplained phobia, a feeling of being watched, an uncanny ability to sense shifts in emotions, a fascination with local folklore, etc.) This is not necessarily a power, more like a vulnerability, something that makes you susceptible to the darkness.
Weaknesses: (What are your character's flaws and vulnerabilities? These can be physical, mental, or emotional. They should be REAL. The darkness preys on weakness.)
Motivations: (What do they want? What are they willing to do to get it? Why are they still in Havenwood?)
Example:
Name: Sarah Jenkins
Age: 25
Occupation: Night shift waitress at the Havenwood Diner
Appearance: Tall and lanky, with dark circles under her eyes. Usually wears a faded flannel shirt over a band t-shirt, jeans, and work boots. Has a small scar above her left eyebrow.
Personality: Cynical and world-weary, but with a hidden streak of vulnerability. Tries to be tough, but secretly craves connection. Prone to dark humor and self-destructive habits.
Background: Grew up in Havenwood. Always felt like an outsider. Tried to leave after high school, but things didn't work out. Now she's stuck, working a dead-end job and drinking too much.
The Touch: Has incredibly vivid and realistic dreams, often about places she's never been. Lately, the dreams have been getting darker, more violent, and starting to feel… real.
Weaknesses: Substance abuse, fear of abandonment, tendency to push people away, crippling self-doubt.
Motivations: Wants to escape Havenwood, but doesn't believe she ever will. Secretly hopes to find someone who understands her. Primarily, she just wants to make it to tomorrow.
Ready to enter Havenwood? Be warned: there's no going back.
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