T h e H a u n t i n g o f . . .
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| H | O | L | L | O | W |
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| ◼ G M: Lord Wraith | ◼ G E N R E: Superhuman, Modern Fantasy, School, Slice of Life | ◼ T Y P E: Linear with Sandbox Elements |
P R E M I S E:
"He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying."
~Friedrich Nietzsche
Situated along the Eastern Coast of the United States between Hampton and Portsmouth, Crestwood Hollow is a small New Hampshire city originally founded in the year of 1652, shortly before the infamous Witch Trials. Settled in the fertile Orlaith Valley, the city is home to a largely rural area. Boasting a very fruitful agricultural industry, the city's largest export is the Golden Delicious Apple.
Beyond the valley lies densely populated forests of oak, maple and cherry trees. This contributes to several lumber mills in the area that provide a secondary industry to the city. A quiet town, Crestwood Hollow has rarely seen a spike in crime although rates have been on a steady rise of recent months. Nothing, however, has been severe enough to prompt an immediate response from the city's police department or mayoral office.
With summer coming to an end, school is around the corner for many of Crestwood Hollow's youth. The majority of these students will be attending Mather Memorial High School, the largest secondary school in the city which collects the graduates from several elementary schools. Mather Memorial is known for several pioneering programs as it strives to encourage students to involve themselves with the world around them instead of the screen in front of them.
Among these programs is an exclusive study group starting this fall run by recent staff addition, Jonas Lehrer. A former heavily accredited university professor, having taught at such institutes as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jonas has brought his keen mind and generous ambition to Mather Memorial. Hand-picking a group of students, Jonas aims to help them find their focus in life, developing a social conscience and setting them on a path to a career they'll succeed in. The students themselves were seemingly chosen at random, but that simply couldn't be farther from the truth. Each student was handpicked by Jonas himself, though on what basis no one can actually be certain.
Only time will tell if he truly has their best interests at heart.
Beyond the valley lies densely populated forests of oak, maple and cherry trees. This contributes to several lumber mills in the area that provide a secondary industry to the city. A quiet town, Crestwood Hollow has rarely seen a spike in crime although rates have been on a steady rise of recent months. Nothing, however, has been severe enough to prompt an immediate response from the city's police department or mayoral office.
With summer coming to an end, school is around the corner for many of Crestwood Hollow's youth. The majority of these students will be attending Mather Memorial High School, the largest secondary school in the city which collects the graduates from several elementary schools. Mather Memorial is known for several pioneering programs as it strives to encourage students to involve themselves with the world around them instead of the screen in front of them.
Among these programs is an exclusive study group starting this fall run by recent staff addition, Jonas Lehrer. A former heavily accredited university professor, having taught at such institutes as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jonas has brought his keen mind and generous ambition to Mather Memorial. Hand-picking a group of students, Jonas aims to help them find their focus in life, developing a social conscience and setting them on a path to a career they'll succeed in. The students themselves were seemingly chosen at random, but that simply couldn't be farther from the truth. Each student was handpicked by Jonas himself, though on what basis no one can actually be certain.
Only time will tell if he truly has their best interests at heart.
S E T T I N G:
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Situated along the Eastern Coast of the United States between Hampton and Portsmouth, Crestwood Hollow is a small New Hampshire city originally founded in the year of 1684, shortly before the infamous Witch Trials. Settled in the fertile Orlaith Valley, the city is home to a largely rural area, boasting a very fruitful agricultural industry. The largest export of the city is the Golden Delicious Apple. Beyond the valley lies densely populated forests of oak, maple and cherry trees. This contributes to several lumber mills in the area that provide a secondary industry to the city.
To the North of the Orlaith Valley is the Great Bay Lake. From the Lake, the River Shannon flows South before turning East towards the valley and continuing through the city. The downtown of Crestwood Hollow is split by the river with one street travelling East on the Northside of the river, while on the Southside the road only goes West. Located every few blocks is a draw bridge that both connects the city and separates it when the need arises for a ship travels upstream. Towering buildings look down on the river ranging from hotels to banks, to professional firms and apartment complexes. The Northern side of the city is known for being rougher than its Southern Sister. The 'Beau' half of Crestwood Hollow is home to the Mather Park, in the middle of which is an ancient white oak known only as the Hanging Tree. The Southern half of the city, the 'Belle,' is newer than the Beau and is home to several more residential areas than the North. The further south one travels in Crestwood Hollow, the more construction they seem to encounter as the city is continuously expanded to accommodate new subdivisions.
Towards the eastern edge of the city, the Shannon empties into the Atlantic Ocean, flowing through the Crestwood Port before it is swept away by the tides of the Atlantic. Due to its location within the Orlaith, Crestwood Hollow has very few visits via train and does most of its imports through truck and ship. As such, the Port is often a thriving hub of life with new ships visiting each day. Several fisheries dot the piers but have fallen upon hard times in later years due to over-fishing in the Atlantic. Numerous recreational boats fill the docks and full warehouses litter the boardwalks.
To the North of the Orlaith Valley is the Great Bay Lake. From the Lake, the River Shannon flows South before turning East towards the valley and continuing through the city. The downtown of Crestwood Hollow is split by the river with one street travelling East on the Northside of the river, while on the Southside the road only goes West. Located every few blocks is a draw bridge that both connects the city and separates it when the need arises for a ship travels upstream. Towering buildings look down on the river ranging from hotels to banks, to professional firms and apartment complexes. The Northern side of the city is known for being rougher than its Southern Sister. The 'Beau' half of Crestwood Hollow is home to the Mather Park, in the middle of which is an ancient white oak known only as the Hanging Tree. The Southern half of the city, the 'Belle,' is newer than the Beau and is home to several more residential areas than the North. The further south one travels in Crestwood Hollow, the more construction they seem to encounter as the city is continuously expanded to accommodate new subdivisions.
Towards the eastern edge of the city, the Shannon empties into the Atlantic Ocean, flowing through the Crestwood Port before it is swept away by the tides of the Atlantic. Due to its location within the Orlaith, Crestwood Hollow has very few visits via train and does most of its imports through truck and ship. As such, the Port is often a thriving hub of life with new ships visiting each day. Several fisheries dot the piers but have fallen upon hard times in later years due to over-fishing in the Atlantic. Numerous recreational boats fill the docks and full warehouses litter the boardwalks.
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Mather Memorial High School is Crestwood Hollow's largest secondary school in the city which collects the graduates from several of the city's more populated elementary schools. One of the oldest buildings in all of Crestwood Hollow, Mather Memorial was originally the city's courthouse when it was built in 1654, before being transformed into a county jail for nearly a decade, spanning from 1802 until nearly 1869.
Unfortunately, a fire brought down part of the building, resulting in numerous convicts being unleashed on the unsuspecting city proper. Opting not to rebuild a jail in the middle of the town, the building sat empty for nearly thirty years until a young architect wanting to make a name for himself opted to propose the structure be revitalized and renewed as a school. In 1902, the school opened its doors under the original name of Mather Memorial Highschool before being rechristened as Eastern Crestwood Secondary School in the late nineties only to have the name reverted in the early 2000s.
Due to the long-standing history of the school, it comes as no surprise that many of the locals consider the building to be haunted. One of the most prominent local urban legends says that the large oak standing in the school's front courtyard was the very tree used to hang the men and women found to be witches during the Witch Trials. As Mather Memorial sits on the edge of Mather Park, this tree is the same white oak referred to as the Hanging Tree.
Due to its history, the building does show it's age. This is especially prominent in its tall architecture with a looming main entrance that casts a shadow on the stairs before it. The inside of the school is often stuffy, the air carrying a heavy musty odour that perforates every hallway. The original gymnasium has been transformed into an auditorium while an addition in the nineties added a proper gymnasium onto the school's west side. Outside this expansion are several basketball courts leading to track surrounding a multi-use field. This field is used for a variety of sports, and when an event is held, temporary bleachers can be erected on either side of the area.
The athletics facility is not the only recent addition to the school. Several portable units line the back of the school, added during the late nineties to increase teachable areas; however, most of these are used as storage currently. A technology wing was added to the east side of the school in the early 2000s. This wing includes state of the art computer labs along with woodworking, welding facilities and even an auto shop. These facilities line the bottom of the wing; however, the upper floor of the wing adds several new science classrooms and lecture rooms rendering the portables as mentioned earlier null and void. At the rear of the main building is the cafeteria which looks down onto the park which shares the school's namesake. To encourage students to get outside on their lunch breaks, a balcony including an outside seating area was added to the cafeteria in 2013.
Like most secondary schools across North America, Mather Memorial offers a wide variety of teachables to its students outside of the mandatory core subjects. Additionally, education is supplied in three levels of learning to ensure no student is left behind. This includes an essentials level for students who intend to go directly into the workplace after high school, an applied level for students who wish to attend community college and an academic level for students aiming to attend university. Some courses have no specified level and are open to all students, but others require the student to have particular prerequisites before they can enroll. Courses such as these often lead to graduates return to Mather Memorial for a fifth year, or as it commonly referred to as, a 'Victory Lap.'
Unfortunately, a fire brought down part of the building, resulting in numerous convicts being unleashed on the unsuspecting city proper. Opting not to rebuild a jail in the middle of the town, the building sat empty for nearly thirty years until a young architect wanting to make a name for himself opted to propose the structure be revitalized and renewed as a school. In 1902, the school opened its doors under the original name of Mather Memorial Highschool before being rechristened as Eastern Crestwood Secondary School in the late nineties only to have the name reverted in the early 2000s.
Due to the long-standing history of the school, it comes as no surprise that many of the locals consider the building to be haunted. One of the most prominent local urban legends says that the large oak standing in the school's front courtyard was the very tree used to hang the men and women found to be witches during the Witch Trials. As Mather Memorial sits on the edge of Mather Park, this tree is the same white oak referred to as the Hanging Tree.
Due to its history, the building does show it's age. This is especially prominent in its tall architecture with a looming main entrance that casts a shadow on the stairs before it. The inside of the school is often stuffy, the air carrying a heavy musty odour that perforates every hallway. The original gymnasium has been transformed into an auditorium while an addition in the nineties added a proper gymnasium onto the school's west side. Outside this expansion are several basketball courts leading to track surrounding a multi-use field. This field is used for a variety of sports, and when an event is held, temporary bleachers can be erected on either side of the area.
The athletics facility is not the only recent addition to the school. Several portable units line the back of the school, added during the late nineties to increase teachable areas; however, most of these are used as storage currently. A technology wing was added to the east side of the school in the early 2000s. This wing includes state of the art computer labs along with woodworking, welding facilities and even an auto shop. These facilities line the bottom of the wing; however, the upper floor of the wing adds several new science classrooms and lecture rooms rendering the portables as mentioned earlier null and void. At the rear of the main building is the cafeteria which looks down onto the park which shares the school's namesake. To encourage students to get outside on their lunch breaks, a balcony including an outside seating area was added to the cafeteria in 2013.
Like most secondary schools across North America, Mather Memorial offers a wide variety of teachables to its students outside of the mandatory core subjects. Additionally, education is supplied in three levels of learning to ensure no student is left behind. This includes an essentials level for students who intend to go directly into the workplace after high school, an applied level for students who wish to attend community college and an academic level for students aiming to attend university. Some courses have no specified level and are open to all students, but others require the student to have particular prerequisites before they can enroll. Courses such as these often lead to graduates return to Mather Memorial for a fifth year, or as it commonly referred to as, a 'Victory Lap.'
F . A . Q .:
0 0 1 || Is this an original universe?
0 0 2 || Do real-world location exist?
0 0 3 || Can I make an original character?
0 0 4 || How many players will there be?
0 0 5 || What kind of powers can I use?
0 0 6 || Can I use magic?
0 0 7 || Can I have more than one character?
0 0 8 || Can my character be bad/evil?
0 0 9 || Can my secondary characters be bad/evil?
0 1 0 || What will the plot be like?
0 1 1 || Can my character die?
0 1 2 || If my character dies am I out of the RP?
This RP is based heavily on its previous iterations however I have completely removed anything and everything relating to Hyperhumans or superpowers from the RP. These will no longer be the focus or driving plot factor. Instead, the player characters will have latent magical talents they may or may not be already aware of. This is to lean heavily into more of a supernatural element and less a superhuman one.
0 0 2 || Do real-world location exist?
Simply yes, while Crestwood Hollow itself is a fictitious city, it is still set inside the very real state of New Hampshire and country known as the United States of America. Real-world cities such as New York, San Francisco, all exist with no changes outside of the technological advancements made in the lore.
0 0 3 || Can I make an original character?
Yes, in fact, that would be preferable to adapting a character originally conceived for another RP. However, there is no penalty for re-using a character and it won't slow or affect your acceptance. I just prefer fresh ideas.
0 0 4 || How many players will there be?
The aim is to gather six to eight reliable players who will make up the 'Study' group. If need be we can run the RP with as few as three or as many as twelve. New players can be added down the road if our numbers dwindle whereas if we keep a full roster, no new acceptances will be made.
0 0 5 || What kind of powers can I use?
Powers will initially be undefined. Your character will have a latent talent related to their ancestry that they may or may not be aware of. As the IC progresses and your character grows, they may begin to further develop their abilities and have a more substantial powerset based on the rules of magic in this world.
0 0 6 || Can I use magic?
Initially no, however, the ultimate goal is for your character to learn to use magic. You will begin the RP either unaware or vaguely aware that there is something different about you. This will become more clear through the IC and the 'Study Group' sessions. Eventually, you will learn to control this talent and develop your magical abilities.
0 0 7 || Can I have more than one character?
You may only have one primary character in this RP, however, you are encouraged to develop a cast of secondary characters to interact and challenge your character. It is more than welcomed for each character to come from within different social circles at Mather Memorial High School and not know each other before the events of the RP.
In the event that your character died in the IC, you may create a replacement player provided you weren't removed from the RP for any of the reasons specified under the rules.
In the event that your character died in the IC, you may create a replacement player provided you weren't removed from the RP for any of the reasons specified under the rules.
0 0 8 || Can my character be bad/evil?
Your character should struggle with morality, after all, suddenly being gifted with abilities above those of mere mortals could lead to some overwhelming temptation whether to get revenge or use them for self-gain. But that said, your character should not spiral out of control, or at least the group should step in before then. The overall idea is that our characters do become heroes in the end.
0 0 9 || Can my secondary characters be bad/evil?
You are free to do as you wish with secondary characters. If you wish to mold them into an antagonist for the group you are encouraged to consult me and we can collaborate on how to make that happen.
0 1 0 || What will the plot be like?
The plot will follow a group of students who are handpicked by a teacher to be part of his 'study group'. However, unbeknownst to the students, the teacher is aware each of them is the descendant of a powerful mage. This teacher plans to teach them how to both control and unleash their extraordinary gifts. The 'Study Group' will bond and grow together eventually leaving the class room behind to protect their home from both others like them and forces no one has ever seen before.
0 1 1 || Can my character die?
Simply put yes. There will be moments in the RP where character death is entirely possible and I would like to treat these moments in as real of a manner as I can. Going into this RP you should know that in the event one of these situations arises, I will not as if I can kill your character, I will simply do it. Abandoned characters will often be turned into cannon fodder.
0 1 2 || If my character dies am I out of the RP?
Absolutely not unless you had abandoned your character. An abandoned character means you've likely dropped the RP, or missed your posting deadline thus meaning you're out. If your character died by circumstance you are free to make a new character and continue as part of the RP. I also understand bowing out after the death of your character though.
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