Quotes:
“This inhuman place makes human monsters.” - Stephen King, The Shining
“I am home, she thought, and stopped in wonder at the thought.” - Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House
“Rumors are its life, stories its breath.” - Scott Thomas, Kill Creek
“Sometimes one feels that it would be merciful to tear down these houses, for they must often dream.” H.P. Lovecraft
...
The House is a collector.
The House creates desire, makes you want to feel attachment to it. Its strutting architecture dazzles, every morsel eaten within the walls tastes decadent, the energy inside is thrilling like some forbidden adventure. When you go around blathering about your connection to the House, people look at you with awe, and the impression makes the user feel powerful. It makes you feel special... your connection to the House.
At the same time, the House is frightening. For when you become frightened, you are vulnerable. When you are vulnerable, you are easier to manipulate.
The House is frightening... but much sooner than later... a seed is sowed.
A seed of an idea.
An idea that
what is
more frightening
is what lays o u t s i d e these walls.
Yes, the House is a collector.
It collects beings like playing cards, tucked tightly away for safe keeping. It uses those collected playing cards to its benefit, in its uncanny collecting game.
The House must have more.
“This inhuman place makes human monsters.” - Stephen King, The Shining
“I am home, she thought, and stopped in wonder at the thought.” - Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House
“Rumors are its life, stories its breath.” - Scott Thomas, Kill Creek
“Sometimes one feels that it would be merciful to tear down these houses, for they must often dream.” H.P. Lovecraft
...
The House is a collector.
The House creates desire, makes you want to feel attachment to it. Its strutting architecture dazzles, every morsel eaten within the walls tastes decadent, the energy inside is thrilling like some forbidden adventure. When you go around blathering about your connection to the House, people look at you with awe, and the impression makes the user feel powerful. It makes you feel special... your connection to the House.
At the same time, the House is frightening. For when you become frightened, you are vulnerable. When you are vulnerable, you are easier to manipulate.
The House is frightening... but much sooner than later... a seed is sowed.
A seed of an idea.
An idea that
what is
more frightening
is what lays o u t s i d e these walls.
Yes, the House is a collector.
It collects beings like playing cards, tucked tightly away for safe keeping. It uses those collected playing cards to its benefit, in its uncanny collecting game.
The House must have more.
Well, since this IS based out of west virginia, then you're gonna have a whole host of traditions to draw upon for "witchery". Scots-Irish and German folkways mingled with Cherokee, Lenape, and Iroquois ways. You had freedman and runaway slaves taking up residence in the mountains with the hill folk, adding their traditions to the bubbling pot. It brings about the creation of Powwowin/Braucherai, Appalachian Granny Magic, Hoodoo, and Conjure magic. This is wild land, and every small town had an old woman or man who could "work cures" or "stop blood" or any other "miracles and witchery" needing done.
It's kept to family lines, and people who were thought "marked" either by ominous birth or marks. Some traditions teach the power man to woman, woman to man. Some traditions pull from the bible, calling it signs from the Christian god. Others take...a different approach. And some folks bring with them old ways from the old world, keeping outsiders from learning their ways. Right next door to West Virginia we have the Transylvania colony, which lasted for a time until the surveying company that founded it lost it's claim due to colonial government. So I can imagine said remnants of that colony migrating just a touch eastward into the mountains and hollars, bringing their ways forged from Romani, Slav, and East Germanic folkways. And that's just the colonial days from 1690 to the American Civil War.
It's kept to family lines, and people who were thought "marked" either by ominous birth or marks. Some traditions teach the power man to woman, woman to man. Some traditions pull from the bible, calling it signs from the Christian god. Others take...a different approach. And some folks bring with them old ways from the old world, keeping outsiders from learning their ways. Right next door to West Virginia we have the Transylvania colony, which lasted for a time until the surveying company that founded it lost it's claim due to colonial government. So I can imagine said remnants of that colony migrating just a touch eastward into the mountains and hollars, bringing their ways forged from Romani, Slav, and East Germanic folkways. And that's just the colonial days from 1690 to the American Civil War.
I'm just gonna say that Alexei has out-fancied and out-knowledged me!!!
I took heavy inspiration from The Walker sisters from Old Gods of Appalachia.
(As well as Stan against Evil + Charmed haha)
I don't even have a family name.
But, Grandma Edith _____lastname______, is the current Matriarch of one local witch family dedicated to protecting the good and even ignorant people of the town.
Ex: Having a safe haven for monsters to come.
Helping provide protective wards, bringing babies into the world, practicing law and education, helping protect the land and the people's rights. Cleansing/ Preventing corruption, tending to the dead, preventing unwanted babies, harboring refugees, helping free enslaved people, fighting for clean water, safe industry, trying to keep exploitative companies out, fair wages, safe work conditions, helping when disasters strike: natural and otherwise.
Grandma Edith had a bunch of girls, Her husband probably passed during some event protecting the town some time ago.
There are at least two surviving daughters of Edith who have at least one child each.
Edith, Mother of Vidalia and Calanthe
Calanthe, Mother of Vik
Vidalia, Mother of Gil
Caprice has been here about 80 years, and probably 1? 2? Matriarchs before Edith, someone made a deal with him to help protect the town.
Presumably part of that leads toward her future husband's death later. Maybe the deaths of one of Edith's other daughters.
I took heavy inspiration from The Walker sisters from Old Gods of Appalachia.
(As well as Stan against Evil + Charmed haha)
I don't even have a family name.
But, Grandma Edith _____lastname______, is the current Matriarch of one local witch family dedicated to protecting the good and even ignorant people of the town.
Ex: Having a safe haven for monsters to come.
Helping provide protective wards, bringing babies into the world, practicing law and education, helping protect the land and the people's rights. Cleansing/ Preventing corruption, tending to the dead, preventing unwanted babies, harboring refugees, helping free enslaved people, fighting for clean water, safe industry, trying to keep exploitative companies out, fair wages, safe work conditions, helping when disasters strike: natural and otherwise.
Grandma Edith had a bunch of girls, Her husband probably passed during some event protecting the town some time ago.
There are at least two surviving daughters of Edith who have at least one child each.
Edith, Mother of Vidalia and Calanthe
Calanthe, Mother of Vik
Vidalia, Mother of Gil
Caprice has been here about 80 years, and probably 1? 2? Matriarchs before Edith, someone made a deal with him to help protect the town.
Presumably part of that leads toward her future husband's death later. Maybe the deaths of one of Edith's other daughters.
The 5 named live together on a nice little chunk of land at one edge of town.
The way I'm writing Alexei's hook is that following the dissolution of the Transylvania Colony claim in 1783, and driven to find a piece of land that "monarchal fools couldn't ruin with their treachery" a number of families drifted eastward into the Appalachians. Amongst those families were two distinct clans, the Vlaszy and the Obertus. These two clans are Familie de Sange of the Dragosani, and practice rites of sorcery known as Koldunism. In the mountains of West Virginia they have lived wild and free. They have been joined by other clans of mountain folk, and have earned a reputation of people to be respected and feared. They DO NOT deal with outsiders that have not been approved by the Dragosani, and will NEVER disobey their masters, as their ancient blood runs in the clan veins. Alexei is the patriarch of the Dragosani in this region, so they have fostered him whenever he comes through this region.
As for their practices, they have largely kept to self sufficiency and have often been mistaken for Amish, until you notice the elaborate folk patterns woven into the vests and shawls of the adults, the men's wide variety of facial hair, and their familiarity with technology, writing, and reading. They have a knowledge of herbal medicine and medical practice that puts most doctors to shame, and their animal husbandry skills are second to none. If they have to interact with outsiders they are polite and very hospitable, provided you do not slight them. If you do, you pay in blood. And they have no love of Christian religion, refusing to enter any Christian church.
As for their practices, they have largely kept to self sufficiency and have often been mistaken for Amish, until you notice the elaborate folk patterns woven into the vests and shawls of the adults, the men's wide variety of facial hair, and their familiarity with technology, writing, and reading. They have a knowledge of herbal medicine and medical practice that puts most doctors to shame, and their animal husbandry skills are second to none. If they have to interact with outsiders they are polite and very hospitable, provided you do not slight them. If you do, you pay in blood. And they have no love of Christian religion, refusing to enter any Christian church.
Hmm, very good information. So say, YC or bloodline of YC enters town/area, and takes notice of a large otherworldly spider web that is unlike anything they'd previously encountered.
Do they protect themselves from such a thing, but leave the rest of well-enough alone?
Do they want to protect others from a trap? Aka avisaries to such trap.
Do they have any desires that would benefit from this trap working in their favor? I.E. they're trying to hide and need some sort of veil of influence to mask their presence in the town from others looking for them?
Adding to the above, are they interested in a consensual parasitic relationship? I.E. they want to shelter in the House for whatever reason, and are offered protection and lavishness there, but the House will feed off emotions and energies just the same.
Do they protect themselves from such a thing, but leave the rest of well-enough alone?
Do they want to protect others from a trap? Aka avisaries to such trap.
Do they have any desires that would benefit from this trap working in their favor? I.E. they're trying to hide and need some sort of veil of influence to mask their presence in the town from others looking for them?
Adding to the above, are they interested in a consensual parasitic relationship? I.E. they want to shelter in the House for whatever reason, and are offered protection and lavishness there, but the House will feed off emotions and energies just the same.
Carrie Mae Vance wrote:
Scheming!
I’m frothing at the mouth to collaboraten.
I’m frothing at the mouth to collaboraten.
Shall i call the sub thread: The House or????
.the.MILK.theef. wrote:
Carrie Mae Vance wrote:
Scheming!
I’m frothing at the mouth to collaboraten.
I’m frothing at the mouth to collaboraten.
Shall i call the sub thread: The House or????
That works! Until we get a function hotel plot going, perhaps?
Moderators: .the.MILK.theef. Caprice (played by KorrokMustache) Jackson Dewell (played by Hoogabooga)