• Major updates are done! We've squashed the nastier bugs, but there are probably a few smaller ones still scurrying about. Send us a DM on Twitter (@lowerworldtsw) or to @Custodian/@Voltigeur on this site if you catch one! We'll be tweaking the site's appearance and updating guides as the month goes on. :)

Welcome to Hemlock Falls

A quiet town where nothing ever happens. Can you survive one week there?

Quick Overview

Category
Completed Campaigns
Language
Total members
13
Total events
0
Total discussions
13
Total views
21K

[RP4] It was a dark and stormy night

Atrus

Hooked on a feeling
Moderator
The sky was overcast as they left the house, and the wind was whipping something fierce. A storm was definitely brewing. From the looks of it, the mountains north of town were already being inundated.

The group left Harpes Mansion in a hurry, making the mutual decision to put a proper roof over their heads before hashing out whatever happened at the house.
Half walking, half running, they made their way back to the Firs before the first drops started to hit. The bar was empty, apart from Joe and the waiters. Joe explained to them that the deputy had been called out on an emergency, but would be there back soon to question them, so he'd like if they didn't leave the property.

That gave the group a little time to recover or talk about things, either in the bar or in one of their rooms.
 

Sarah Whittaker

Well-Known Member
Sarah is uncharacteristically silent on the way back. She looks - well, what would you expect? Rattled. Confused. Uncertain. What happened? What did she she? Hear? Feel? It can't have been real. It just can't. But if it wasn't, then what was it?

She barely listens to Joe, and doesn't speak other than to murmur quiet thanks as he gives her the key to her room (whether single or shared with Molly).


((Is Molly the only other female character still playing?))
 

Craft

Game Master
Game Master
Craft nods his thanks to Joe as they're told about the deputy's request to not leave the property. With a grin, he turns to the group and asks with a small smile, "I'm gonna grab a beer as we wait. I'll buy if anyone else wants one. We might need a drink after that... you know... rehydrate after the hike."

He figures Sarah might need a drink, after what may have been her first encounter with the paranormal. And Rourke might as well, depending on what caused his brief knife wielding incident. The others seemed to be mostly unaffected by what happened in the Harpes Mansion.

"What do you say?"
 

Sarah Whittaker

Well-Known Member
Sarah pauses, key in hand, then pockets the key and nods. She moves towards a table with enough room for the whole group, looks around to see what the others decide. Still without speaking. Still looking shock-y.
 

The Dullahan

Active Member
Rourke had been silent for the trek back to the firs. The look on Sarah's face as she stared at him playing over and over in his mind.

It wasn't him. It wasn't him.

But her face blurred with that of others. His past blending with the present. So, when he did finally see the bar, he beelined it right over. Giving Craft a nod but avoided looking at Sarah and that of the others in the group.

What the fuck? What happened? And why the hell did the sheriff want to talk to them about it? Did he know about that fucking haunted house and didn't say anything to anyone? Or ...maybe more likely...were they going to be charge with B&E? His handler would love that. Rourke sighed and flagged down the bartender and got a shot of whiskey.

It was against his better judgement to drink on the job. But after what happened in the mansion, he was beginning to wonder about his 'judgement'.

Two shots of whiskey it is.
 

Marcos Medeiros

Active Member
Admin
Marcos, who just now seems to be realizing how enormously stupid (or brave, or both) it was to stand in front of a guy with a serious case of the stabbies, is unusually silent.

But that isn't even the worst of it.

A normie got caught up in something that no normie should see -- on their watch. Which he's pretty sure is one of the things that Araci told them to avoid. Yep. The Council's going to positively jump for joy when it hears about this.

"Coffee for me, please," Marcos tells the waitress as she passes by. It's likely to be a long night, so he'll need every ounce of caffeine that he can get. Once the waitress is out of earshot, Marcos looks to his companions and clears his throat. And then realizes that he has no idea how to even start a conversation about whatever the hell happened out there. So he tries for an icebreaker, instead. "So... I am guessing that we're not doing campfire stories tonight." A weak, almost nervous laugh.
 

Craft

Game Master
Game Master
Waiting for the others to order first, he eventually requests a beer from the waitress, not particular about the brand or the container in which it will arrive.

Craft offers a small smile at Marcos campfire story quip, and looks around the table trying to gauge the impact the incident in the Harpes Mansion has had. Sarah definitely was showing it the most visibly, but Rourke's beeline to the bar was just as troubling. Perhaps whatever happened to him in the mansion took more of a toll than Craft originally thought.

"Definitely no campfire stories." He agreed, then looked to Sarah with a sympathetic smile, "Did you want something to drink? I mean, we may be waiting here a while."

It was a poor attempt to coax Sarah out of her shocked state, but at least it was an attempt.
 

Sarah Whittaker

Well-Known Member
Sarah sits down, then she nods to Craft. She starts by naming a beer, then stops. "Screw that. I'll have moonshine. Whatever Joe's got for whiskey."

Either she's still the world's best actress, or she had no idea the mansion was really haunted. Or whatever.
 
OP
Atrus

Atrus

Hooked on a feeling
Moderator
Joe comes down personally with everyone's drink of choice, alcoholic or not. He looks at the assorted group and gives them all a wry smile: "You look like you've seen a ghost, friends. Here, this'll cheer you right up."
 

Craft

Game Master
Game Master
Craft grins, "We're just glad to have made it back before the storm broke. Probably going to make things interesting for those of us that are camping outside. And thanks."

He accepted his beer gladly, and added, "This round is on me." He pulled his wallet and fumbled past a few purple and blue bills before pulling out a couple of green american bills, passing them to Joe with a nod.

He'd wait till he was out of earshot to delve more into what they had seen at the Harpes Mansion. Lifting his glass he took a healthy gulp of beer.

"That was definitely needed."
 

Marcos Medeiros

Active Member
Admin
‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’

It’s a common enough expression. A harmless one, really. But the timing. The timing. Marcos can’t help watching a touch warily as Joe returns to his post behind the bar. Just before the other man could turn around and see him looking, however, Marcos turns his attention back to his companions.

“And the next one is on me,” Marcos says, smiling thankfully to Craft. He then turns his attention back to Sarah — her drink, more specifically. “Will you be okay, Sarah?”

While Sarah is mustering a response, Marcos spares a glance at the entrance to the bar. Usually, in these little truck stops in the middle of nowhere, there are racks stuffed with pamphlets about local tourism and folklore. It’s a long shot, but maybe he could find some answers in there...?
 
OP
Atrus

Atrus

Hooked on a feeling
Moderator
Joe's unfortunate expression seems to have been just that. The man goes back behind the bar without a second look to the group, and starts preparing things for the evening.

There are indeed a few tourist pamphlets, although they have the look of having been sitting there for a while. As they'd been told at the diner, Hemlock Falls wasn't exactly a bustling tourist spot.
Most of the pamphlets, though, focused on the waterfalls or the surrounding woods. Some mentioned the 'historic' Harpes Mansion and the failed attempt at renovations, but none talked about murders, dead sisters, or interracial lovers. Either the scandal had been deftly buried... or it never existed at all. Just like deserts inside a church.
 

The Dullahan

Active Member
Rourke did his shots and stayed at the bar for a long while, just needing some space to sort through what happened at the mansion. Once he felt more in control and calm, he moved towards the table. He switched to beer and took a seat at the table. He didn't say anything, just gave everyone a nod in greeting before taking a sip of his beer.
 

Sarah Whittaker

Well-Known Member
Sarah nods her gratitude to Craft for the drink, but doesn't speak until after she's drunk an indecently large gulp of the whiskey. And recovered from the way it hits her. Her first vocalisation - isn't. She tries to speak, but nothing actually gets said. Her second attempt manages to work. "I think so."

She waits till Joe is out of the way, then asks "That ... did ... did everyone else see ....?"
 

Craft

Game Master
Game Master
Craft nods as Rourke rejoins the group at the table, hoping whatever he downed at the bar helped ease his nerves. As Sarah spoke Craft turned to her and nodded slowly.

As much as the Council of Venice might not approve, he couldn't let Sarah go on thinking she was completely insane. As insane as the rest of them? Sure.

"We did..." He glanced around the table, hoping others would toss in their agreement. "You had no idea, huh?"

He offers an honest smile, hoping that speaking the truth, at least a little bit of it, might help out a bit.
 

Craft

Game Master
Game Master
"Well. You're not crazy. What you saw was real..."

He expects someone to speak up, based on what the Council had mentioned prior to departing for Hemlock Falls.

He takes a drink of his beer and sighs, "Sorry you had to find out. Especially in that way. I know it's a bit of a rude awakening."
 

Sarah Whittaker

Well-Known Member
Sarah seems completely unaware that her hand is shaking, even when she manages to sip her whiskey. The glass is set down a little harder than she intends.

She stares at Craft for a long moment, then looks at each of the others in turn.
 

Marcos Medeiros

Active Member
Admin
Marcos, too, stares at Craft. He begins to shake his head, as if to say 'Don't do it! I'm taking your paycheck if you do!' but, upon taking a moment to think... he realizes that bringing Sarah into the loop might not be the worst idea.

They could use an insider, after all.

Now they just have to hope that she doesn't go screaming and/or blabbering to the other villagers.

So, when Sarah turns her wide eyes to him, Marcos simply nods. "Something... definitely happened in there," he says. "And it had to happen to someone else around here, too, with that house sitting there for as long as it has."
 

Sarah Whittaker

Well-Known Member
She pauses to try to think, try to pummel her brain to do something other than run in screaming circles inside her skull. Then her eyes widen, and she whispers "And we were there in broad daylight." The thought she's most likely thinking is all the teenagers bullied or bravado'd into going to stay there overnight.
 
Top