Unnatural Understandings and the Disparate Minds

When you have a setting with ghosts, poltergeists, and other paranormal goings-on in that vein, the next logical addition to the setting is people who investigate and or deal with such manifestations of the supernatural. There are essentially two types of groups who undertake these endeavours, though there is always the potential for overlap. There are those that take a scientific approach and those that take the metapsychical approach. Beyond, or aside, from the overlap of these two methodologies, is the conflict between the two, which can be further complicated by the deniers and debunkers of both. This of course ends with a messy four-way conflict, but therein lays some fun of its own.

Since you are beginning with a reality base that includes the paranormal as witness-able fact there should be at least the beginning of a scientific basis for understanding it, even if the real hard science answers will not be found for many years to come. The science need not be clear, or widely accepted, or even very useful, but it should be there. Where there is a need for understanding, there will be people to pursue it. They will come up with answers that work for them, eventually. The same can actually be said of the metaphysical adherents too, they will find answers in the fashion that suits them. Since this is a fictional setting they can be just as correct and valid as the science-types, and often will be far ahead of the curve because they simply embrace the rules they see rather than trying to understand them at a level beyond utility. They also do not necessarily seek a rationale or explanation.

Most of the scientific types will have commonly held beliefs about how the paranormal works. There can be some dissension, even some where groups have wildly divergent theories, but I would guess it is minimal. That said it is minimal in comparison to the myriad of occult system beliefs. There is no feeling of consensus behind these groups because they do not believe so firmly that there is only one reality. As soon as they witness the success of a group with a different belief they must admit there is more than one approach, which is unless they fall into the same category as the debunkers. Even though the metaphysic groups can see more than one method they too can believe their way is superior, or more morally true, or what have you that causes from polite disagreements up to vicious rivalries amongst them.

Mood: expressive.
Music: Satellite 15...The Final Frontier by Iron Maiden and Not A Dry Eye In The House by Meat Loaf.

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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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Haunting Master Class

Last time, we discussed imaginary friends that turn out to be not so imaginary. Yesterday at WraithStop™ while discussing an article titled "Cold Spots: Fort Delaware" I mentioned the "schism in ghost lore where there are photos of half seen figures not seen by the eye, but at the same time accounts of ghostly figures indistinguishable from the living until they disappear or do the impossible like passing into a wall." What I did not mention, because this is the more appropriate venue, is that there is a rules framework that brings together both of these elements and many others that don't necessarily seem to fit together. This does beg the question if it can just be that there are disparate haunting phenomena going on that do not interrelate. The answer is of course, yes, if you want it to be that way.

First let's look at the theories that make for a cohesive set of rules for ghostly manifestations. It starts with the idea that much of it comes down to energy, and some of it to the will of the spirits in question. It starts with a ghost hanging around unseen, watching things happen. At this base state it may or may not show up in a photograph, depending on how much energy it has. When it has enough energy it becomes visible to the naked eye with the translucency depending on how much energy. Other acts such as telekinesis require energy and may or may not impact on visibility. A ghost with enough energy can chose to remain unseen or reveal itself to someone even if it has no control over its current photogenic quality. Overarching, this all may be dependent upon whether it is an active, intelligent, spectre or a residual haunting played on a loop, or not dependent on that criteria at all.

It is certainly an option to have different kinds of ghosts and hauntings that each work off of their own rule sets with as much distance or overlap as desired. Poltergeists can be noisy mischievous spirits or they can be purely psychic effects of the living. Unintelligent hauntings can be echoes of the past or entities caught up in the energy of previous events. Intelligent ghosts can be earthbound spirits or conversely non-human spirits such as devils and non-corporeal species beyond our current understanding. There are other events that can be described as a haunting such as Shadow figures and people, doppelgangers, humans travelling astrally, black eyed kids and people, and watchers and thought forms, which are ghosts created by human belief. As with everything else your setting can incorporate whatever manners and meanings work for you.

Mood: educational.
Music: Thrills In The Night by Kiss and Wake The Dead by Alice Cooper.

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Conflict-à-trois

After last week it's time for a conversation about three-ways. It's one thing to say that they are complicated, that they change the nature of the story. The first decision is always who are the three sides. Answering this helps to open up the other questions like which two sides will come together to deal with the third. That is if any of them come together. It happens most of the time, but it is not a requirement. Whether or not two side with each other one will always mess up the plans of at least one of the other two sides, if not both of them. It all comes to down to the other huge question of what are the goals of each side. The goals may be deeply ingrained in the whom of these three characters or groups. Or it may be just of matter of what they are willing, or unwilling to do.

As complicated, or straightforward, as the conflict may be there may always be a fourth matter of complication. The three-way conflict struggles in the directions afforded those possible outcomes without the affect of any outside influence. An outside influence throws the whole dynamic into a spin. Although allegiances may form and break up, or shift based on the actions of one or more of the sides, they do not shift as fast or as easily when there is an external impetus. Each party of the conflict will try to manipulate events to their advantage, but some events are adjustment proof. They can't be planned for. They may not be of help to anyone. They may even be immutable and only worked around. There are different events that can be like this.

Disasters are the first example of an immutable event that cannot be avoided. It may be used to advantage by any of the characters or groups if they can be predicted. Plans are foiled or need serious revision if an unplanned for disaster strikes. Such disasters could be weather related, seismic, or even smaller scale such as a fire. Depending on the setting and pre-planning a disaster might even be a weapon in one side's arsenal. This is especially true of fire, bombings, avalanches, and the like. Of course even false indications of such a disaster can be a tool to use. Fake bombs or threats, false tidal wave warnings, or even pulling a fire alarm throw a wrench into someone's plans. As almost always, the possibilities are endless.

Mood: feisty.
Music: Porno Star by Motley Crue and Slick Black Cadillac by Quiet Riot.

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Take Out the Garbage

*** Disclaimer: The following in no way means to disparage the people of lower class income or who live in certain kinds of homes. It is specifically about the character of some people and speaks to the common and likely even stereotypical view of such groups of individuals. ***

Previously we took a look at the unsavoury subset of the already looked down upon white trash group. For note some of this applies to disaffected urbanites, the rich who live in their own world practically, and just the general malaise affecting much of the civilised world that rises to the very aptly named legal term called depraved indifference. Further, this is different than the uncivilised groups that frequently partake in wanton destruction and consider defilement commonplace and desirable--the villain/monster perhaps. This is really about those who have the veneer of decency and civility bare in spots or ripped away and sitting askew. With that in mind, it's time to look at how exactly they change the horror in a story or movie.

One consideration is that the horror should offset or counterpoint the grungy, dirty, immoral quality of these characters--this of course is if they are prevalent, which is certainly true with their natural habitat as the setting. The first possibility that comes to mind is a slasher who is much the opposite, who is moralistic in that sinners and the improper die by his or her hand. Thematically, or better yet even literally/visually, the blood spilled washes away or hides the dirt with clean, placid-smooth red, though of course this is temporary as it dries and becomes just more grime worsening what was there--don't forget the added element of blood smell to this--a chink in the armour of this "purity" if you will, belying it's masking nature, and foreshadowing the physical rot to come to match the moral rot.

Overall the most important consideration in creating terror with these types of characters is how to overcome the audience's dislike of the characters. It dulls the horror when people don't identify with the characters. It's even worse when the audience wants to see them come to a bad end--though there are readers and movie watchers who do that on purpose, but even they frequently want nice, undeserving victims, when the point isn't to punish the impure. Also, unless you're looking to have shades of grey in frightening conflict you want to be clear just who the metaphorical monster is. Make your horror really horrific and evil. Enough to scare the hardest heart and make them look almost cuddly in comparison. Lastly, in film at least, fear is infectious and characters who show their fear illicit it from the audience. These are just some of the things to keep in mind in this kind of setting.

Mood: solemn.
Music: Sweet Pain by Kiss and Poison by Alice Cooper.

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To A Creepy New Year in 2011

Hello and welcome to the New Year of Horror on Hump Day! It's been a long hiatus, though maybe not the longest I've taken. Publishing a horror magazine will do that, even at the length of Killing Time - Horror E-Rag. It's become something of a tradition to look back and then look forward. Let us begin.

Looking back I am immediately struck by the recent posts about movies and television both before and after Hallowe'en's thirteen blogs. Both by the number and the ideas I hoped to express about them. There was even some motivational material, because honestly with all the negativity out there about the genre and its failings someone has to get on topic, push forward, and try to be a force of change.

To some degree it's a sad state of affairs that it has to be me, but really who better? I've always been trying to push for better horror, and painting the way as a consumer. Some could ask, who am I tell to anyone how to make something better? The answer is, I'm someone who enjoys horror so much I had to become a creator. Even that much commitment isn't necessary. All it takes is a passion for the material, the movies, the books, the games, the tropes, the feelings, the whole shebang.

The look back became the look forward. Might as well continue mixing it up. The past year I talked about a setting with witches, and more pertinent to the discussion witch hunters. It's kind of funny because I recently saw the animated video for "American Witch" NSFW by Rob Zombie, which seemed to me to be a companion piece to the "Lords of Salem" NSFW video, which I had seen significantly longer ago. The Lords video is very evocative of just how frightening the Witch Hunter General and his closest men are, to not only the common man, but also to even the blackest hearted witch.

I intend to look at some more settings. Like early in 2010 I also intend to look at horror from a RPGer's perspective because what is a pen and paper RPG for the person running the sessions (known as the Game Master among other names), a position akin to director on a movie set and at the same time scriptwriter--if both of those only worked with or wrote the minor characters and the setting/sets. I'm re-explaining this both for new readers and because there's been some recent controversy, but that's not something I intend to get into here. Beyond that, I never know what I'm going to write about until I start planning for the next week. Here's to new horrors and new looks at it.

Mood: stoked.
Music: American Witch by Rob Zombie and Werewolf Women Of The SS by Rob Zombie.

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Looking Back at 2009

It's February, but since this is the first entry of the year to this blog I would like to say, Happy New Year. I thought this year that I would begin all of my blogs with two particular articles. The first is a look back at 2009 and the highlights of the year. The second is a look forward at some of the things that I want to talk about in 2010. One of the perennial series of entries in these dark corners is the annual 13 Nights of Hallowe'en. In 2009 all of the movies were my favourites. Most recently I wrote a couple of role-playing game themed articles that are useful for creating characters for any media. Still in the RPG vein there were articles about game changing alterations to settings, such as travel times and instant communication, which can have massive impact on a number of fronts even outside of gaming.

At one point in the year there was a bit of a lengthy look at changing perspectives, and perspectives versus reality on several levels. That got into the realities that we surround ourselves in and they way that it affects, well, everything. Those perspective shifts work their way beyond our view of the world and they effect our interactions with everyone--a handy understanding for writing. Another topic that surfaced with a need to be covered by more than one entry was a look at where publishing is going and where the writer can take their work as new paradigms emerge. There I likened one of the possible experiences, with only text being a requirement, to extras and deleted scenes on a DVD. That plays into my favourite topic of taint, which comes up now and again and will continue to do so.

It’s hard to forget as well that at the beginning of 2009 there were the last couple parts of Anatomy of a Horror Setting #3 about mixing the horror and sci-fi genres. That of course was followed by all of Anatomy of a Horror Setting #4, which looked at combining horror and fantasy moving from the typical medieval European fantasy settings up to Industrial Era settings. The rest of the series of course was a part of 2008. The whole set of them are still on my list to be lengthened, re-edited, and turned into a book. It was both easy and hard to devote so many weeks to a small set of topics and examine all of the angles. It was easy in that I knew one week to the next what I writing about and hard to come up with some of those angles and try to keep some kind of order in the progression.

Mood: progressive.

Music: Music: This Day We Fight! by Megadeth and Hitchin' A Ride by Green Day.

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We're All Going to Die Terribly

One of the important parts of planning and running a role-playing game is the same as plotting a novel or writing a script. It is about managing threat levels. Doing this has a cascade effect that impacts pacing, tension, horror--if that is your angle--and mood. Take the ever-popular zombie apocalypse. The threat level is high any time that the characters are out in the world rather than sitting in their safety zones. Even in the safety of their sanctuaries all of the dangers of the old world loom around every corner. A pall hangs over everything because the walking dead dominate the mental landscape as much as the external one. This makes for constant inescapable tension. The dark mood is always an instant away only to be forgotten briefly.

This general look at the threat level of the setting is just that, only an overview. Scaling down to the level of specific encounters the danger presented to the protagonists can only reach a certain pitch. The protagonists must be able to survive--at least until the end, since they can only be killed once. There must be some way out of every situation. Something natural or organic and not forced or contrived. By the same token it should not be a cakewalk either. A balance must be struck. In a game luck can be a factor that brings disastrous results with even the most balance encounter. An author or scriptwriter can bend luck to their will on the other hand, again only in a way that seems genuine. Either way there needs to be room for adjustment.

A threat level system became a part of AD&D recently--in terms of the game's long history--to the joy of some and derision of others. It is a quick and easy way to say this many player characters of this level of power should fight these, these or those. It can be rigid and by the nature of its existence can drain away some of the tension, especially if the players know the Game Master is sticking by it. The player will likely even be familiar enough that they can tell an encounter is safely balanced. This tension draining phenomena can happen even with fiction, and especially scripts for television. Certain characters just aren't going to die. There will be an out to almost any situation that seems hopeless. Some things just are not going to change or come to an end.

Mood: open.

Music: Too Much, Too Soon by Green Day and It ('s A Monster) by Extreme.

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Surmounting Advantages

During the discussion of greatly enhanced healing in fantasy settings there came a question of what will some parties do to combat this advantage in their enemies. This is an important question not just in the circumstance of accelerated healing or of resurrection, but in general, both in gaming and in all fiction. For every advance or advantage there is a considered response to negate it. Those who do not have an advantage will want to copy the advantage for themselves, or barring that steal the other party's source for it. This push and pull, garner or steal, is another basis upon which to build conflict in stories. In gaming it is a consideration that the Game Master must make at every turn to keep the pace, the tension, and promote a surmountable challenge.

There are a few categories of elements that fit this mould. There is durability or immunity to harm, powers that cannot be defended against, normally inescapable circumstances, and overwhelming forces. These can be negated directly or indirectly. Direct negation requires stripping the individual(s) of the power or overwhelming it to the point it is not an issue. Disruption powers come into play or powers that are in opposition to the troubling one. Ice or water is used against fire, mind blocks prevent psychic attack or intrusion, and similar. Particular methods of killing cancel regeneration. Specific disposal of the body prevents it from rising from the dead. Then there are weaknesses built into characters such as deadly allergies to certain materials such as Superman and kryptonite.

Indirect negation can include circumventing the difficulty. Those invulnerable to damage may be suffocated or drowned. Those immune to fire may still be harmed by falling debris caused by a fire. The opponent may be the one that is immune to the character's abilities. All of these put a wrinkle in a game changing element or a power. They can only be used so often and put to smart use without negating the reason for having these capabilities in the setting, or unfairly treating the player of such a character by hobbling them unlike the other players. Tempering these changes to provide threat and tension is only desired in balance and when it enhances the storyline. It may even be better to turn the tables and have the protagonists seeking to deal such powerful foes.

Mood: tired.

Music: Welcome Home (Sanitarium) by Metallica and '39 by Queen.

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