They Need Your Vote, Josh

If you're new to this blog, or just to this particular topic I am writing a blog called On Dark Rhoads™. It is the fictional account of Joshua Rhoads and the haunting of his house. It is more than that though. One aspect of the fictional world Joshua lives in is a fictional political party running the country. Another aspect to consider is Joshua is psychic and does not know it yet. Now, this is what I'm dealing with...

Another decision point has come up in the Joshua's journey. I essentially have to make the decision before the fork in the road appears. Some interesting links have been brought to my attention that afforded some new tweaks to the still forming setting. Some of them have come up in TechStop™ and others may make their way into there. They are not a part of the horror, but at the same time they do add to it and certainly many of them are not nice for people like Joshua. There is nothing to stop me from doing one thing in Joshua's stories and another in the game, but I would like to have that cohesion. So here is the decision to be made. There is the aforementioned political party with sinister intentions. Is it more compelling for Joshua to be aligned with them and learn of the dark side and reject it or to be opposed to them in the first place?

It may be something of a cliché to be party to the party and then learn the error of his ways. They can only be visibly sinister to a small degree or otherwise they would not have the power and influence that they do. At the same time I do not believe there is some dark core pulling the strings but that it is more a matter of an overall dark outlook. Furthermore I intend for them to be the way they are for the good of others. It's not an intentional malevolence and they are not aware of the amount of harm they are creating or the hatred they foster. It's not about any particularly bigotry either--except for political party opposition bigotry where one party despises the other so thoroughly and thoughtlessly--at least not initially until events of other natures start them down that path. It is not a matter then for Joshua to just be readily aware of their malevolence.

At the same time this party is hard line on a number of subjects, which draws a certain amount of ire from different factions, and a general disgruntlement from people who align themselves with the other parties. The drama is a little less starting on the side of right and removes added dimensions such as guilt over Joshua's former affiliations, and anger at first having indirectly been duped and then becoming victim to their burgeoning malice. There is nothing to stop Joshua's affiliation with the opposition party from having its own turmoil, including the party siding with the malevolent one on the topic of people like Joshua. Here what seemed right is no better, but has the option of it being possible to sway their opinion to a more moderate stance and embrace the approaching sea change for everyone's benefit.

Mood: harried.
Music: Trumpets Of Jericho by Bruce Dickinson and Death on Two Legs by Queen.

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Anatomy of a Horror Setting #4-7: Out of the Woodwork

The grand exploration of the world that took place in the Victorian age opened the doors to different stages upon which familiar characters held sway cementing the validity of their imagined reality even as it forced alterations. Wherever the British went they found tales of what could only be faeries and other familiar beings and creatures of legend. There were some differences and occasionally new and strange additions to add to the lore of the day. As with at home there were good faeries and evil faeries though dealing with either was something to be avoided if possible. Of course there were exceptions such as the Brownies, which were reminiscent of the Domovoi or house spirits of Russian lore, at least in terms of helpfulness around the house and farm.

It can be hard to differentiate the origins of the beliefs in the fae even between the English, the Scottish, and the Irish so an amalgamation of the mythologies is the way to go. The division between the Seelie--good faeries--and the Unseelie, nasty faeries--courts is a common one. Court in this case indicates groupings or members of the royal fae court more than a place of judgment though the Seelie certain had those and used them to enforce their will upon humans who interfered with their affairs. The fae also fall into several categories or species each with a particular name, or some overlapping names depending on which culture was describing them. Many of them were of human size and stature while others were diminutive, unlike in fantasy where most are small.

Changelings in particular were normal human size, which helped them in stealing a human infant and replacing it with their own baby for the humans to raise, similar to cuckoos laying their eggs in other bird’s nests. As strange as their customs, and in spite of their innate magical qualities, the fae are seen as native to the world, a natural part of it, and in tune with it. This adds to the mystique of the world, the idea that the strange and fantastical is the norm. When dealing with faeries for the setting use less focus on the mischievous members of the Seelie court and more on the malicious and violent types of the Unseelie court. The Unseelie are more frightening figures any way. They are solitary, greedy selfish, and enjoy terrifying their victims even before the real torment beings.

Mood: relaxed.
Music: My Fairy King by Queen and The Power and the Glory by Twisted Sister.

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Anatomy of a Horror Setting #2-3: Evocative Invocations

Let's use the definition, discussed previously, that calling upon some being is Invocation, while calling upon energies is Evocation. This division can also cut a straight well defined line between the requirements for each kind of spell casting. This is a matter of preference and builds specific rules into the setting. To this end the components needed for an Invocation will be verbal components alone. Evocation will require verbal, somatic, and quite often material components. Somatic components involve movement and gesticulations. They run the gamut from inscribing shapes in the air, to specific hand formations, to full body motion like dancing. Material components are such things as wax, incense, and bodily substances ranging from hair, blood, bits of skeletons, and fluids.

If Invocations are the result of the influence of supernatural entities, the first order of business to cast spells by this method requires knowledge or acquaintance with just such a being. How this is done varies by the exact being to be invoked. The first place to look is religion, whether it is the bright spiritual kind or the belief and honouring of malevolent creatures. In a horror setting there is unlikely much of a call for angels or friendly god figures to be involved. Though it shouldn't be written off for all settings. Trucking with higher powers can be frightening even when dealing with the benign if only due to the otherworldliness. Of course also such higher powers may hold characters to difficultly high standards and as such drive the story in that manner.

Evocations on the other hand may be much more almost mundane to deal with. Putting thoughtless, and potentially moral-neutral energies, to use removes a lot of certainty and fear from the equation. This is something easily mitigated by the kinds of material components required. For instance ritual sacrifice may be required, to obtain and to prepare a material component, or as some kind of catalyst, if it isn't actual part of the energies being evoked. There may also be a less tangible material component, that being time. Many are the rituals that must be done at a certain time, whether it be a phase of the moon, the alignment of celestial bodies, or a time restriction such as before so long has passed. This is all without dealing with the horrific dimensions of what spell is cast.

Mood: indecipherable.
Music: Legions by Stratovarius and Slice of Your Pie by Motley Crue.

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