DruSM157

Everbrook An Anachronistic Mystery RP

Goonies never say die!

Premise
Picture, if you will, a quaint, small town. A town with a lot of history and a lot of tradition. Picture, if you will, a town with dark secrets, where the ghosts of the past still creep in the walls: A library that was once the old town courthouse, where three women were hanged on the charges of devil worship. The local high school where the prom king and queen have died in a car accident every year for the past 15 years. The theater which on rainy Sundays plays films that should not exist.

And then there’s you: the young teenagers who are stuck in the town. Literally. You cannot leave. Something is holding you here.

Silence, Earthling! My Name Is Darth Vader. I Am An Extraterrestrial From The Planet Vulcan!

Hey folks, my name's Drew. It's been a minute since I worked on an original RP, since I've mostly been tied up with GMing and running RPs based on existing properties. Though the Final Fantasy one I'm doing is...pretty much stuff I'm creating as I go along. Anyways, this RP is inspired by a lot of great films from the 80s and television shows from the 90s.

Thematically here's what I'm shooting for:

Focus on character: The RP lives and dies on how the characters interact with each other, meaning characters need to build realistic and interesting relationships with one another. Good banter, close friendships, and rivalries, that kind of stuff.

Focus on the town as a character: No, this does not mean the town will "talk" or do stuff, but the places that the characters explore and investigate need to be interesting and engaging just as much as the characters. I'll include a few concept pieces about different parts of the town further down in the post.

Realism in a surreal reality: Shit is supposed to get crazy in the RP. Spooky things, unexplained things, etc. That means that Johnny the Track Star isn't suddenly pulling out a Colt Python and blowing away the ghost in front of him because he's secretly a spirit detective. The fun is uncovering the secrets and finding ways to stop what's happening, not to brute force it.

Wolfman's got 'nards!

Anyways, a premise for the RP:

You are a teenager living in Everbrook, ages ranging from 15-19. You get around by borrowing the family station wagon, riding your bike, or walking. You might work at the local supermarket, an intern at the library, or cut grass. The world is supposed to feel like a town from the 80s era of films like ET, The Goonies, or newer shows like Stranger Things. The weird thing is, the time period is meant to be somewhat modern. The town is meant to feel anachronistic, and that is the first hint that something is off about the town.

The town itself is full of creepy places that seem to exude anxiety, and even worse, something is keeping the main characters from leaving during the summer. The roads get blocked off if they try to drive to the next town, family vacations are mysteriously canceled, or university tours keep getting rescheduled. That leads to the driving force of the band of misfits to band together, uncover the secret of the town and free themselves from whatever hell is waiting for them.

And no, it's not a clown.

Let's look at some concepts of the town!

Everbrook Public Library

Formerly the Everbook Courthouse, this centuries-old building seems to date back to the founding of the town. The most famous story is that the library is haunted by the Denton Sisters, three women who were hanged for consorting with demons. Even stranger is the date they were hanged: 1825; hundreds of years after the practice of "witch trials" and the sort had ended.

Workers at the library commonly speak about feeling like they being watched, and strange occurrences happening after 6 PM when the library closes.

Everbook High School

Everbrook High School is fairly normal. Everyone acts normal; at least in the normal way, you'd expect teenagers to be. The only issue is this: Prom is constantly canceled. Why? Well, over the past 15 years, every year they've held a prom, the King and Queen have mysteriously died on Prom Night after being crowned. Usually in an automobile accident. Due to quarantine across the nation being lifted, the school has decided to hold the prom again. Even with it happening in June, will the curse continue?

Diamond Theater

The Diamond Theater is a staple of Everbrook. Two screens, shitty quality, and cheap popcorn. A place most kids go to make out in the back of the theater. But there's an odd rumor that on certain days, you can get a ticket for a special show which seems to act as a portent for disaster.

So, that's the gist of the RP! I'm really just wanting to put out feelers for this RP, and see if anyone is interested in the concept. If I get some interest, I'll throw together a character sheet, OOC, etc. I'm pretty good at cranking these out fast. Also, if you have questions, ideas, or pitches, I'm always happy to listen to them! I love expanding the lore and I am not the god of good ideas.

Shuffle your music player and post the first 10 songs

I don't have a music player so let's go Spotify list on shuffle

1. How Simple - Hop Along
2. Pets -TWRP
3. Sentient-Perturbator ft. Haley Stewart
4. Decay - Home
5. Head First - Home
6. It's a Hit - We Are Scientists
7. Head Over Heels - Tears For Fears
8. Take Care of U - TWRP
9. Wolf Like Me - TV on the Radio
10. Lazarus Online - Wolf Parade

Final Fantasy Crystallum en Absentia

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Background Music

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The forest paths continued to wind and become more difficult to traverse. Balder's mood seemed to grow darker and darker the further they went. Was this the right path? Were they lost? By now, the maps had grown completely useless. The paths did not match up, and there were no landmarks or guidestones to tell exactly where they were.

"I may have made a mistake leading you all in here..." Balder muttered with a grimace, before a loud rustling and shadowy shape erupted into the path they were on.

"Blwaarrughhh!!!" The creature seemed to warble at the group, it's goofy and boulbous eyes scanning them all, before quickly spinning around on its small tendrils and quickly scurrying away.

"There it is!" Balder yelled, drawing his blade, before standing, dumbfounded as it retreated. "It...ran away. Why?"

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Farris Wood
Deep Woods. 21st Sun of Ondine

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"Wait did it just run away?" Edgar called from the middle of the pack. "Then let's catch it! Or...kill it! Whatever we're supposed to do!" Edgar grabbed Francesca from his toolbelt, waving the large metal wrench around. "It didn't look that scary!" It almost looked kind of cute, actually!

"Hold up." Balder said. "Miniboros and Malboros are supposed to be mindless beasts. They don't know fear. Or tactics. It should have attacked us head on. But it didn't." His eyes narrowed. "Something is different. We follow, but carefully. Everyone should be ready for an attack from any direction."

A mist began to form underfoot. It seemed like the kind of fog one would find when near a large body of water, and for everyone in the group, it seemed to be of no matter. But at that moment, Luna would feel a sheer pain in the back of her head, as if someone had driven a needle deep inside. Something connected to the mist.

You Can Become a Hero!

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Sapporo, Japan
Ishin Academy, Near Dorms. April 7th

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Hajo-san's teasing did not help Shun's attitude, as he struggled with his pineapple for every syllable of teasing, bringing his face to a bright crimson. Had Hajo-san not entered the conversation, Shun may not have even really paid too much attention on what Nekohara-Senpai had said. It's not completely what you think it is.

What was Ishin Academy, truly? And how did he have a connection to it? Those were the burning questions that had led Shun to the school. He was not a deep philosopher by any means, and did not spend too much time contemplating the meanings of fate and purpose; but ultimately he was here. He jumped without thinking, and when he did that, he knew it was the right thing to do.

Something tells me I have to be here.

Then Hajo-san said something that made Shun actually think deeply about something: “Our class is kinda goofy, though, isn't it?”

"I-I think that's a good thing, Hajo-san. If we are going to be heroes, we will have to interact with so many people of different walks of life. From the rich, the poor, from fun-loving people, to serious people. We'll have to help Japanese and foreigners if they need it. I think our class is very special, because by learning about each other and working together, we'll become the best heroes we can possibly be!" Idealism was one of Shun's strong suits, even if it came at the cost of reason and base intelligence.

Final Fantasy Crystallum en Absentia

...a lot.

@Savo

Dude, chill. We have a discord to discuss this kind of stuff

You Can Become a Hero!

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Sapporo, Japan
Ishin Academy, Near Dorms. April 7th

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Oh no. He'd never meant for this. Not like this. The bag fell into the cold slush on the ground and Shun moved. His muscles tightened, his adrenaline shot, and he moved. From one second, he was several feet away, and in a split second afterwards, he was knelt down, offering his senpai his hand to help her up. "Oh no! Senpai, I'm so sorry I didn't mean for you to get hurt!" Great, now he'd even caused his upperclassman to fall.

He'd not even thought that he'd just used his quirk, he was too busy making sure that the girl was okay. He helped her up as she continued talking about Ishin's class layouts, and how her class had been. "Huh. I never knew the school did that." Then again...

---

"I don't want to see another pamphlet from these damn hero programs." His father tore up multiple glossy pamphlets showcasing Shiketsu, Yuei, Seiai, and Ketsubutsu hero courses. "You're doing general studies, getting your mechanics license, and working with me at the garage. That's final."

There'd never been a pamphlet from Ishin Academy. Not a recent pamphlet anyways. When he'd made the snap judgment to leap forward that day on the bridge, catching a girl from another middle school and landing them both safely onto the sidewalk, he'd been reprimanded and dressed down by both the local police and his teacher. But it was after that moment that Kageyama Sensei took him aside and talked to him earnestly. "You made a snap decision that saved that girls life. If that's not heroic, I don't know what is. But you've never shown interest in a hero course, Shun. I think you'd do great in a course like that. You're kind, your quirk can be used to save people..."

They'd talked for hours afterward, and by the end of it, Mr. Kageyama had sent Shun's information to multiple schools to get packets. "There's still a chance to apply Shun!"

Then his father had found out and destroyed all of the pamphlets from the schools. Shun retired to his room, defeated by the man who'd grown colder and sadder after his mother's death. It had been his grandmother who barged in, holding an old, browned envelope. "This was left for you when you were young, first showing off your quirks. We knew that you had something special dear." Shun opened the envelope to see aged paperwork for Ishin Academy. It was stark. Nothing about activities or different heroes. Just simply: "ISHIN ACADEMY IS WHERE THE NEXT GENERATION OF GREAT HEROES IS BORN." In bold, stark kanji.

"Are you sure they'd even accept this? This is...so old."

His grandmother smiled, looking wistfully out the window. "I know they will."

---

"You're sure you're okay senpai?" Shun asked again. He felt horrible that he'd caused her to fall, even if he had never pushed her. He knelt down picking up his paper bag. The slush had made it soggy. He pulled the pineapple from the deteriorating bag, making sure it was okay.

He still needed to see his room and prepare for tomorrow. And eat. He definitely needed to get lunch and dinner too! Tomorrow was the real start; the first big day of his career. He had so many people to thank for being here at Ishin, and he promised himself that he would never let any of them down.

Final Fantasy Crystallum en Absentia

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Holy City of Alexandria
Alexandria Hunters Guild Headquarters, Meeting Room. 21st Sun of Ondine
Background Music

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"Explosives!?" Edgar's face blanched. "WH-what do you mean? My inventions don't always explode!" Edgar seemed nervous until Avvadon explained that no; he meant more in the realm of devices with the PURPOSE to explode. "Oh-" Edgar gave a large sigh of relief. "I don't have any specific aldite stones on hand, and the ones that would make a strong reaction would cost..." he frowned, thinking to his roughly 50 gil in his wallet, "a lot more than I have on hand at the moment."

"Since this mission is being run by the Guild, you are supplied some basic equipment," Balder interjected, tossing the two large leather packs; before tossing packs to Blaike, Luna, Mithra, Ianthe, and Artemisia. "You won't be charged for the items inside, so use them as you see fit." Balder walked to the front counter of the guild, before turning back. "This mission does have a time limit on it. Check your supplies and be ready at the front door." He walked behind the counter, gathering his own pack.

As everyone checked their packs, they would see a handful of useful items. Several glass vials filled with liquid indicated they all had a few potions, antidotes, and ethers in their packs, as well as small aldite stones. Not extremely powerful, but enough to assist in augmenting gear that could take a stone. Edgar was busy digging through his tool belt and looking at the stones. "I could...probably create something out of this, Avvadon," he muttered to the giant monk. "I can work while we march, so hopefully I'll have something useful before we arrive at the forest."

Balder approached the readying group now wearing a dark leather breastplate over his jacket and balancing a steel sword on his side. He nodded to the group. "We need to take the west gate out of the city and march a few miles into the forest. There's a map of the area inside everyone's packs as well. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the area; we can't waste resources searching for lost hunters when we're stretched thin as we are here." It shouldn't have been too much of a surprise that the Alexandrian guild seemed to be lacking manpower. It seemed that apart from a few hunters, they did not have the numbers that a centuries-old guild would appear to have.

Travel was uneventful. As they left Alexandria, they found the fine stone roads quickly turn into heavily traveled dirt paths, and the massive Ferris Wood loomed in the distance. A few rodents would appear on the roads, but none were aggressive. The path was peaceful, but there seemed to be a looming feeling of dread growing as the party continued to move closer to the forest. Unbeknownst to the group, they were being watched.

---

Ferris Wood
Winding Paths, 21st Sun of Ondine
Background Music

---

As they entered the forest, the heavy canopy of trees darkened the area ahead. Edgar could feel the hairs on his arms rise up as he looked down the dark, winding wooded paths of the forest. Something felt unnatural here. Even Balder appeared worried, looking around the area with a grimace. "The map shows that there should only be a single path leading further into the woods here. But there are two. I suggest we stay on our guard from the moment on. Something feels very wrong here."

Edgar nodded, and clasped the small metallic object in his hand, gingerly placing it back into his pack. He'd been able to create two small fire grenades with the materials he could salvage, but the explosive blast would be nothing special. It might work against a single miniboro, but against a Malboro it would be akin to throwing a pebble at a dragon.

Balder drew his steel blade and motioned to Ianthe and Avvadon to join him near the front. "The path in the map..." he muttered, pointing the blade towards the left path, "best matches this path. Let's go recruits."

You Can Become a Hero!

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Sapporo, Japan
Ishin Academy, Near Dorms. April 7th

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"That just leaves Tanaka Shun who is, hm, by himself?”

Oh no. Shun just stood there awkwardly as everyone in the class paired off with their new roommates, and here he was alone. No roommate. The embarrassment was starting to build as he squeezed the brown bag against his chest. It could be worse, of course. He could instead be sharing a room with a scary guy or a mean person. Or perhaps someone who stank really bad. So there was a bright side to it!

One thing he did notice was the lack of boys in the classroom. Only...3 guys total? He'd seen other male upperclassman through the school, so he knew that Isshin wasn't separated by gender, but what was going on about this? "Just a quick question-" he asked, holding a hand up. "Is...Ishin famous for its female heroes or something? It just seems odd that there's only three guys total."

Video Games: The General Discussion & Community Thread

<Snipped quote by DruSM157>

Because I've been on rides helmed by Nomura before.

@Fabricant451

Same. And some have been great and others have been weak. I think the level of care they've taken for this game, with Nomura and the other OG FF7 team all working together for this makes me less all "doom and gloom" and more just hopeful excitement for the future. But right now everything is speculation.

Video Games: The General Discussion & Community Thread

I for one welcome the meta narrative. I just wish the spooky plot devices had better presentation. It still leaves a lot of potential for... Bad times ahead.

@tex

BIG BRAIN DUMB SPOILER IDEAS

So I love the idea that by defying fate that the heroes have basically played into Sephiroth's hand. I have a strong feeling that in the sequel we will see a lot of the same narrative bits as the OG FF7, but maybe in a different presentation. What I hope to see is more Sephiroth emotional manipulation of Cloud, and perhaps pushing him to "save" Aerith from her death. My theory is that if Aerith does not join with the lifestream, she cannot manipulate Holy to stop Meteor; meaning that Sephiroth wins.

Aerith's death is one of those BIG spoilers in gaming history, but my hope is that the next game will play with the player's emotions as well as Cloud's, by making us WANT to save her, defying the plot of the original game but also opening up for Seph's true victory. Adding in Zach being alive in another continuity also gives a chance for some moment where he may intervene in our timeline, and act against fate as well. How big of a gut punch would it be to be told that she HAS to die to save the planet, and instead of the City of the Ancients sequence, we're surprised at another moment later on. Maybe even a moment of self-sacrifice from Aerith.

A lot of people are angry because there is a plot divergence, and I understand folks wanting this to be a pure "retelling" of the OG story. But I've spent the better part of my teenage and adult years with all of this compilation of ff7 bullshit that is now ingrained into my brain and seeing more of that appear alongside the old stuff is really interesting.

The next games could be incredible and a deep emotional story that deals with coping with loss that is out of our control, or it could be very contrived and dumb and kingdom heartsy. Only time will tell!

I've watched waaay too much of Maximillian Dood's theories and was shocked to find his level 4 galaxy brain stuff synced up with my own ideas playing.