ABOUT THE GAME SETTING
This game is set in a sweet little resort town called Briar Hills (population 10,572). It is conveniently about an hour and a half away from the major metropolis centre of the region.
A decade ago, the world of mortals became aware of the supernaturals. The “monsters” that lived in the closets of their childhoods “came out of the closet”, as the saying goes.
It started with the witches as a result of a CNN special on a fame-seeking witch in New Orleans. She soon got her own show called “Monsters Under the Veil” and incited a media frenzy on all things supernatural. Through her show, she exposed the vampires and then the werewolves. The demons, faeries, immortals, and others were fodder for subsequent episodes. That is, until her unexplained disappearance.
Since then, the world has been forced to live with the knowledge that these “monsters” exist among them. Some people believe in equality and that monsters are people too. Some people tolerate the monsters and don’t care what they do in the privacy of their own homes - as long as they act and behave like normal people in public. Others, like the militant Humanist Movement, believe monsters are second-class citizens who have no rights. And some believe, out of hate or fear, that all monsters must die.
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ABOUT BRIAR HILLS
There’s only one road that leads into Briar Hills. But once you’re in, all roads lead to its heart in the centre of the town: the Big Old Tree.
Legend says that the Big Old Tree is a Nemeton, a sacred space that draws ley lines into a focal point and can serve as the portal between worlds (e.g. hellmouth, gateway to Arcadia, path beyond the veil, etc.). Cutting or harming the tree will bring great suffering, death, and destruction to all that surrounds it. It is said to act like a magnet that draws the supernatural to itself like a beacon. The tree is said to have miraculous powers and is a source of extraordinary power.
Under the veneer of the “normal” exterior of this charming town is a long history of supernatural communities. Within Briar Hills, there are a number of communities that must constantly work to co-exist.
Currently, the most notable and influential are:
Mortals: Every day human beings. They’re the majority of the world and of the town.
Vampires: They’re old and moneyed and some have been here since the 1800s.
Werewolves: A number of werewolves make Briar Hills their home. The dominant pack also doubles as the town’s local gang.
Witches: The local “wizards” are a coven of witches. They’re not very popular among humans or supernaturals. But they’re the go-to when you need a spell or a scapegoat.
The Faeries: Their innate ability to glamour their true appearances makes them the most acceptable and non-threatening to human society.
Each of these groups has sway over certain aspects of the town and they may come into conflict as they vie for resources and control.
The roads leading to and from the tree draw physical lines that divide the town into four quadrants.
North-West Quadrant: “Residential Area”
Most of the town’s population lives in the north-west area of Briar Hills. Previously farmland, there are still a number of hobby farms and a few vineyards in this area along with a handful of century homes. However, the majority of homes are new developments of homogenous design that were built in the last 10 years.
With skyrocketing housing prices in the city, there has been a boom in affordable housing. Land in this area is still being developed for new homes.
North-East Quadrant: “The Wild”. “The Ivory Tower”, and “The Grey Corporation”
Known as “The Wild” by locals, this area of town remains relatively undeveloped and heavily forested with the exception of a 30-story office tower and accompanying factory. The tower and factory used to be used to manufacture Ivory soap, hence the local’s calling it the “Ivory Tower”. But in the 1960s, the buildings were bought by the Grey Corporation as their new headquarters.
The Grey Corporation is a global corporation that provides consumer products and services in the areas of pharmaceuticals, beauty, nutrition, cleaning supplies, and technology. The Grey Corporation is owned and helmed by Lord William Grey II. The company employs half of the town’s population (and owns half of the town).
South-East Quadrant: “The Estates”
The grand estates of this resort town can be found in the south-east area of town. These homes enjoy proximity and vistas of the waterfront and luxury amenities like golf courses, art galleries, country and yacht clubs. The grandest and most opulent of the estates is Grey Manor, an excessively lavish French-style chateau that regally stands amidst acres of impeccably manicured grounds and gardens. The mistress of the home is Lady Victoranna Grey, wife of William Grey II, and chairwoman of the Grey Gardens Society and Charitable Foundation.
Briar Hill’s only hotel, The Palace, is also found in this area of town. It offers luxury accommodation for vacationers. The town’s only nightclub can be found in The Palace. It is called, Court. The Palace and Court are owned by Frost Industries.
South-West Quadrant: “Old Town”
Briar Hills’ quaint downtown is home to a number of stores, restaurants and cafes, a few pubs, a library, a movie theatre (that doubles as a community theatre space), a church and graveyard, the school, community centre, town hall, the police and first stations, and local health clinic.
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ABOUT PLAYER CHARACTERS
Player characters are typically young monsters (between the ages of 16 - 24) who live at Aunt Clara’s Foster Home for Wayward Young Monsters. Characters over the age of 18 are longtime foster kids who either remain at the home to help the elderly Clara out or have yet to get started on their independent lives.
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ABOUT AUNT CLARA’S FOSTER HOME FOR WAYWARD YOUNG MONSTERS
Aunt Clara’s Foster Home for Wayward Young Monsters is a respected institution in Briar Hills. She has taken wayward youth under her wing for the past 50 years.
However, shortly after the Supernaturals were exposed to the world, Clara’s home met an unfortunate end as a result of a mysterious fire.
Luckily for Clara and her foster kids, the Grey Gardens Society and Charitable Foundation were able to quickly step in and donate a property on the edges of Grey Manor estate.
The foundation also generously offered to endowed the foster home with an annual income of $100,000 each year… on the condition that she rename the home, “Clara’s Foster Home for Wayward Young Monsters”.
It has been a refuge for young homeless monsters ever since.
While the financial support has been a blessing to the elderly Clara, running a foster home full of young monsters can be quite costly. But Clara is anything but industrious and she and her charges are always finding ways to make ends meet.
Hosted and narrated by:
Kenny (Uggoisme)
Started 04/06/16.
Scenes played: 20
License: Community License
