Dropbox

[finchmods]

DROPBOX

Leave any questions for the mods about the game in the comments below! We'll get back to you as quickly as we can. Comments are screened and any relevant informaiton that comes out of dropbox discussions will be added to FAQ or otherwise made available to other players. Feel free to ask us or notify us about:

• World details!
• Setting details!
• NPC details or interactions!
• Clarifications on OOC or IC rules!
• Game mechanics!
• Changes to accepted characters!
• Plot ideas!
• Anything else!

If you anticipate an exchange that will require more back and forth or if you just prefer it, you can also email us at: finchwoodacademy@gmail.com!

Comments

[finchmods]

Because this didn't escalate into a fight, Russell Reeve and Adam Ho don't technically get in trouble... but they are warned to behave. The staff has eyes on you, kids. They thank Neal for alerting them to this potential issue.

Re: 10/4 student violence incident

[finchmods]

Unsurprisingly, the staff is not happy about this fight. Both Thalia Mitchell and Zinnia Howe get detention next week, and they're told if they get into another fight like this there will be more serious repercussions. Thalia gets an additional talking to about not lashing out physically, and Zinnia is given a talk about not egging people on. Iason offers to patch them up if they want it, but seems a bit annoyed.

[finchmods]

Mrs. Langbroek is the one to receive Tal's report, and she thanks her for letting them know! She tells her about the time that she's pretty sure she saw a ghost at a folk music festival, and ended up so startled that she stumbled back into the middle of a dance circle and broke her ankle. It was pretty embarrassing at the time, but she looks at it now as a sign of a healthy dose of self-preservation! If you want a different teacher, let us know, but otherwise... you get this beautiful story.

[finchmods]

Lenore listens to all of this with a near-stoic face, though her brows do draw in almost imperceptibly as Flint tells his story. When he finishes, she tells him that not everything that appears in the Shadow World is real but real things (and entities) can be brought there, so their instinct to save him wasn't wrong. She also says that she doesn't know what the crying man was, but she does not think he was a fully-formed being. A real person. She asks for time to study the ashes but promises Flint she will return them.

On October 11th, Lenore comes by Flint's room to bring him the ashes. She says that she wasn't able to confirm anything from them and that Squad 4 can do what they'd like to with them. She does, however, suggest that they scatter some of the ashes in the locked greenhouse; the otherworldly plants there may benefit from them.

[finchmods]

Lenore listens to Liam and Kyra's story with her typical stoicism, though she seems to find the whole situation...curious. She admits that she doesn't know what the entities in the mirror are, though she has encountered Shadows that are able to reach into the real world in small ways in an attempt to lure humans to them. She recounts an example of a Shadow calling out to victims in a sweet voice over a period of days, effectively hypnotizing them and luring them to a specific location where they would disappear. The significance of the water, though, is a mystery.

She encourages Liam and Kyra to inform the staff of any other strange encounters but not to fear them. Even if these are Shadows attempting to make contact, they can't truly manifest in the real world without passing through a rift.

[finchmods]

Lenore remains impassive as always while Neal and Liam explain the Shadow Post. When they're done, however, she instructs one of them to open their journal, place it on her desk, and turn to the now blackened pages. She examines the journal, turning from page to page with small flicks of her wrist, though she never actually touches the journal. When she's done, she flicks her wrist the other way and the journal closes. She then explains that, as with the shadowy figures in the mirror, this may be another attempt by Shadows to reach into the real world and influence people. Because the students of Finchwood Academy are Persona users, however, she doesn't consider this to be an active threat, so long as they do not allow themselves to be manipulated. She admits that if such influences are able to reach into Haling Cove, however, that could be a problem. The journal then lifts from the desk, floating back to its owner. Why use your hands when you can use telepathy anyway?

She assures them that she will discuss the matter with Ms. Voss and with the other denizens of the Velvet Room to see what information they can find on the matter. After a pause, she thanks them both for their diligence.

[finchmods]

1. See this response for Meggie~

2. In talking to the locals, Liam mostly hears teenagers recounting their experiences playing Bloody Mary and several different stories about the ghost haunting the lighthouse (some said it was a lighthouse keeper that committed suicide there, some said it was a sailor whose ship crashed on the rocks, some said it was young woman who got locked inside with her lover after the lighthouse had been condemned). All of this seems a little far-fetched, though, and nobody seems to take the stories particularly seriously. One girl tells him a story about a ghost that haunts a local cafe, insisting that he looks like a real man sitting by the window and drinking coffee but that he'll disappear right in front of your eyes if you watch him long enough! This...wasn't very helpful.

[finchmods]

Unfortunately for Marty, his joyride didn't go unnoticed and Mr. Moon, Lenore, and Mr. Gladstone are all waiting for him at the gate when he returns to campus. Mr. Moon looks like he's the one that's about to get scolded by his teachers, while Lenore remains impassive and Mr. Gladstone looks disappointed but also a little relieved. Once the car is back in the garage, Marty gets a long lecture for his trouble and is banned from attending the upcoming Halloween Dance. He also recieves a week of detention and is told in no uncertain terms that if he even attempts this again the consequences will be more severe.

Yikes!

Still. It was quite a night in Mr. Gladstone's 'borrowed' Mustang.

[finchmods]

The woman behind the counter is surprised by these questions but offers Venus a bright smile as she introduces herself. Her name is Moira Ruskin and she adds that she's been a vegetarian since before Venus was born. She then turns the same questions back on Venus. She seems happy enough to make small talk.

[finchmods]

Despite the sophomores being Shadow hunting machines, the teachers think that a bit of childish fun might be good for them, and give them their blessing for trick-or-treating as long as they're back before curfew! They manage to take quite a few toiler paper rolls with them, and successfully TP three houses before, on their fourth house, they nearly get caught! It's fine for everyone to escape without any repercussions, as long as no egging takes place.

Re: LIGHTHOUSE ADVENTURE

[finchmods]

The group arrives at the lighthouse, and finds it fairly simple to break into - it's just a weak padlock on the door, and it looks like it's been broken into many times previously. Inside, it's dark and damp, and the metal, spiral stairs leading up to the light are so rusted that they don't look safe to ascend. In fact, it seems like maybe a few steps are even gone up above, so... best not to chance it. There are a few graffiti tags inside, including a pentagram, but someone has written 'I like big butts' inside of it using the same spray paint, so it's likely not supernatural.

Unfortunately, everything they do seems to result in absolutely nothing. The most exciting thing that happens is a bird flies into one of the upper windows, potentially startling some of them. Sabrina's phone catches this, but it's probably pretty embarrassing. Because summoning Personas outside of the Velvet Room, except under extreme circumstances, is not allowed, Marina's won't be of any help to her here.

When the students return, they're met by Lenore at the gate - uh oh. Everyone gets detention for the week, and isn't allowed to participate in any of their extracurricular activities. She's incredibly disappointed in them, especially those in leadership roles, and reminds them that if they continue to press rules they could forfeit their positions.

[finchmods]

The rifts last began opening around Haling Cove when Luther Gladstone was fourteen-years-old (a freshman) and Cassandra Voss was sixteen-years-old (a junior). It was 1992, it went on for approximately two years, and both were attending Haling High School at the time. This is common knowledge among the students at Finchwood Academy (the ones that pay attention to such things, at least) and helps to narrow down Flint and Scout's search considerably.

While most of 1992 doesn't yield anything unusual, the newspapers from 1993 are frankly overwhelming. They contain an increasing number of articles about violent crimes, an unusual (and still unexplained) outbreak that left dozens temporarily catatonic or comatose, and a number of disappearances. Most notable among these are:

Two elementary school children that disappeared while walking home from school and were found several days later unconscious on the beach. Both recovered but had no recollection of what had happened to them.

Eight high school students that went camping in the woods for the weekend after prom and disappeared for two weeks. Only three came back and they were hysterical, presumably from exposure, and the other five were never found. The assumption is that they died in the woods.

A group of tourists that rented a boat to take out on the bay and disappeared. The boat was found empty by local fishermen and none of the tourists were never found.

A recently-married couple that disappeared from their home. The two were found several weeks later lying in the middle of a rural road, soaking wet, with their hands clasped. While both regained consciousness, one remained catatonic.

While there are a number of these incidents and many are unusual, there do not seem to be any on the same scale as the abducted bus of Haling High School students. Still. It gives them a lot to think about. Before heading back to school, Flint and Scout stop at a local cafe to have some coffee and (quietly) discuss their findings. They haven't been there long, though, when Flint notices a man sitting alone with a cup of coffee in front of him and staring out the window. This would not be unusual (and it certainly isn't the ghost story Liam heard about at the festival), except that...it's the man from the castle. The man that Squad 4 and Squad 1 had rescued, only to have him turn to ash upon passing into the cathedral. He seems sad but, unlike the figure in the Shadow World, he isn't crying.

He's still sitting there when the pair finally departs and returns to school.

[finchmods]

There seems to be some hesitation in Wayne's initial response to the text (a fact which is abundantly clear in the amount of time Liam spends looking at the 💬 symbol), but the boy soon responds assuring Liam that he's all right and agreeing that coffee would be nice. He'll meet Liam and Kyra in town.

When they meet, the boy mostly seems to be his normal self. He greets them pleasantly and seems calm and puts way too much sugar in his coffee. When asked how he's doing, he admits that he's still a little overwhelmed by everything despite not remembering what happened and that he hasn't been sleeping well. He keeps having that dream. You know? The one where you're falling? He laughs this off awkwardly before going on to say that the others seem to be all right too. The only one he's not sure about is Jordan James, who hasn't come back to school yet. He says this isn't a huge surprise, though, since Mr. James is way overprotective and was losing his cool in the hospital more than just about anyone.

Eventually, he glances at his watch and says that he's got to get the grocery store for his shift. He tells them that it was good to see them, seeming to mean it, then goes on his way.

[finchmods]

While Lenore acknowledges that Dustin was right to bring this information to her, she doesn't seem particularly worried about one of the Haling High students potentially having a fragmented memory about what happened. The human mind, she tells him, is a complicated thing and there are some experiences that it can be reluctant to let go of completely without a deeper and more complex magic. Like the magic in their contracts. She says that the boy is unlikely to remember anything specific or significant without assistance and that anything he does remember will fade with time.

[finchmods]

Initially, Nora's attempts at Facebook stalking aren't especially productive. The last few days, Roger's wall has been flooded with well-wishers, gawkers, and shit-stirrers all attempting to talk to him about the incident but relatively little activity from Roger himself. As things start to quiet down, though, he does post again. On Thursday, he makes a joke about how it's Waldoboro's turn to risk an away meet and later posts a set of photographs of the bay. On Friday, he posts a set of photographs of the lighthouse, earning some curiosity and complaints from his friends, though he insists the location was already on his list. For real, guys!!

Eventually, though, he does make plans with a couple of friends (none of which Nora knows) to go to the movies on Saturday and see Bohemian Rhapsody. Perfect! Nora, Liam, and Mason show up at the theatre early hoping to see the boy in his natural habitat. He's the third to arrive and goes to meet his friends without noticing the Finchwood trio. The exchange between them seems normal enough and Roger himself seems normal enough too. Soon, they go into the small arcade built into the lobby of the theatre to kill some time before the show and the Finchwood students follow. Roger ends up being the odd man out when his two friends start playing a fighting game, so he heads to an odd, outdated shooter with two plastic guns and starts the play. Seeing her opportunity, Nora goes to join him. He offers her a grin, seeming to recognize her from the store, and engages her in small talk while they shoot ghosts. They actually make quite a duo! When they eventually are killed, he keeps talking to her and when she shrieks about a spider he just looks around for it and asks if she's scared of spiders?

Before they can have a conversation about it, his friends appear to pull him away. He tells her it was an honor trying to save the town from a witch with her and heads off with his friends.

[finchmods]

While Slade is able to find Jordan James on Facebook, the account has no recent activity and sending him a friend request gets no response.

[finchmods]

1) While there's nothing magical about the note itself, it does appear to have come from an otherworldly place. If Marina has scanned any of the objects previously recieved in the Velvet Room (e.g. - the prizes given out by Irene after training), she will recognize this as being similar.

2) The note tastes like paper and ink. Don't eat the note, children.

3) If Marina still decides to bully freshmen, she may get detention. :( Let us know based on the first answer!

[finchmods]

As it turns out, stalking the Ash Man isn't particularly difficult; Suzy and Flint see him sitting in the local cafe the very first day they go looking for him. He's at the same table by the window that Flint and Scout saw him at previously and it seems that coming here may be part of his daily ritual.

The man doesn't seem fazed when a pair of unfamiliar teenagers come over to him, though there's a quality of sadness and exhaustion that comes through his polite demeanor and his heavy Mainer accent. While he seems reluctant, he does agree to answer the questions for their project (academics are very important) and invites them to have a seat. He tells them that his name is Thomas Noble, but everyone calls him Thom, and that he's retired but that he was part of the Haling Cove Police Department for thity-five years. He also tells them that he's lived in Haling Cove all his life and that his wife, Eliza, owned this cafe until she passed on in 2011. God rest her soul. While the man is patient, he's not much of a talker and his answers tend to be short and to the point; there doesn't seem to be any way to get him to open up without prying. Soon, there's nothing more to say and he wishes them luck with their project.

While Mason successfully Googles the man afterward, this doesn't reveal much more than what he'd said: he was born and raised in Haling Cove, he married his high school sweetheart and had two children, and he went into police work where his meticulous, patient, determined nature helped him to steadily climb up the ranks. When the rifts were opening twenty years ago, he was the deputy chief of police. His wife passed away in 2011 from a heart condition. He has no social media presence (which is no surprise, given his age).

While Suzy and Flint are doing this, Emma and Eli meet (and get to pet) a very cute dog named Chester! ...That appears to have gotten away from his family. Emma and Eli look up the address on the dog's collar and take him home! They are greeted by an appreciative but exasperated mother and two small children that treat them like heroes. For their trouble, the mother insists on sending them home with one of the pies she spent the afternoon baking and she introduces herself to them as Abby Wester. (Yes, that does mean that their dog is named Chester Wester.)

[finchmods]

♥ Venus...is too cute.

ANYWAY, Moira is surprised but delighted by this and tells Venus she's a very thoughtful young lady. In the idle conversation that follows, it sounds like she will at least be spending Thanksgiving with her daughter-in-law, because she seems to think her daughter-in-law will be in love with this dessert.

At the question, Moira becomes more somber and looks at Venus for a long moment. She seems sad when she says that, if anything, she seems more burdened. She urges the girl to take care of herself.

[finchmods]

Lenore examines the whip and has a simple answer for Neal: the whip has been exposed to the innate magic of the Shadow World and the Shadow likely worked some of its magic through it, but the weapon itself is nothing special. It's well-made and could leave a nasty mark but apart from that...it's just a whip. She gives it back to him but points out that he should store it in the gymnasium or the Velvet Room since it is a weapon.

[finchmods]

While both Ms. Voss and Mr. Gladstone seem surprised by the request, both agree to the student interview! On the scheduled day of the interview, however, Ms. Voss apologetically informs them that something important has come up for Luther and that he'll be in Portland for the next few days. She is still willing to answer their questions, though.

With regard to Merry's question about Thom Noble, Ms. Voss clearly recognizes the name and she frowns thoughtfully before shaking her head. As far as she knows, Thom Noble never entered the Shadow World. She asks them why they would ask that? (We'll do a second response here depending on the answer!)

( OOC, this approach sounds fine to us! Whoever gets picked to interview Mr. Gladstone can submit their questions or not since he'll be canceling. :o Thanks! )

[finchmods]

1. According to Wayne, Jordan James has now returned to school! So far, he hasn't come back to track practice, though. The question makes him curious and he asks if Liam and Jordan are friends?

2. When asked about Jordan James, the employees of the arcade don't seem to know who the Finchwood Academy kids are talking about. Jordan Who? There's a teenage girl working at the counter that likely attends Haling High, but when they press her she just rolls her eyes and says she's never noticed him much.

The arcade machine itself doesn't seem to be anything special either. If any of them try the game themselves, their scores are no match for JZJ's.

3. We need some additional clarification before we can answer the last question! Is Squad 10 asking people around the arcade or just random people around town?

Thanks!
The Mods

[finchmods]

Bad. Children.

But you're correct! The girl is around Khalil's age. She's taller than he is, delicately built/not particularly curvy, and has long white hair. Hope that helps!

[finchmods]

Unfortunately, there is no Medium Bad but Irene would be happy to set up a new maze for additional practice sessions! She's done this in the past for other kiddos and you guys can assume she'd be willing to do that for them too. :)

Irene does seem pleased to be asked, though. She likes to see extra effort being put in!