Prologue

The mountains of Appalachia are among the oldest on Earth, born of powerful upheavals below and ceaseless action above. They will tell you in the books of the valleys and steep ridges, the gouged out ravines made by glacial ice, and the rich botanical ecology, but they will not speak of what was awoken here.

They will not mention whose home we are trespassing in.

Those facts are passed down in lore and warning. In songs we sing our children so they will not stray into the darkness. So they will not slip out of sight. So they will remember as adults that evil does not discriminate; we are all targets.

After dark, it would be difficult for even a seasoned outdoorsman to find his way back to the safety of town limits. For the average folk, it would be impossible.

They will not mention how the forest will swallow you up.

It’s not uncommon for people to go missing in these hills. A wrong step, a misjudgement, the sun falls before they’re able to make it back to the trail and then they’re gone. Search parties might go out, but it’s really only an amenity for the families. No one expects to find them. But sometimes they come back. Walk right out of those woods with no explanation or right to be as alive as they are. Unnatural and unlucky, these people come back to a world that is weary of them. Some say they shouldn’t have come back at all.

Themes

Survivor: - Everyone knows what happened to you. In a small town like Jericho, even the surrounding areas, there’s no hiding the truth. You were a victim. A statistic. A name and face on a missing person’s poster. But eventually you came back. And when they asked where you’d gone, you couldn’t bring yourself to say the truth. A scream in your belly that refuses to push past your teeth. The woods surrounding Grey County harbor dangerous secrets. Not everyone can see the truth, but you can. A long time ago, you stepped into those woods and came out different. You saw a darkness you couldn’t unsee, and now struggle to remember. And ever so often it draws you back and you just can’t help yourself.

Outcast - Something about you is off. Though it’s possible to have found close friends or loved ones, you don’t fit in with the larger crowd. The towns all know you’re a little strange and keep you at arm’s length. Perhaps you’ve stopped trying to fit in long ago, or maybe you’re still holding onto hope that one day you’ll find your place.

Not Alone - Whether it's at the other end of the supermarket aisle, at the edge of the woods, or even in your dreams, something has begun to watch your every move. You can feel their eyes on you before you see them, and oftentimes you don’t. Just a lingering feeling that something is coming. Something is calling.

House Rules

Templates

Mortal+ (Special) PCs may not become any other Supernatural Template in the game. If you would like the possibility to become a Supernatural Splat, please begin as a Mortal. Mortals may become part of the Mortal+ (Special) sphere. To do so please open a ticket.

Locum Tenens / “Alternate Scenes”

Given the nature of the story Mortal+ will be unraveling, I am presenting a new mechanic in the game to provide an outside view of a scene that will lend more context while also deepening the horror and mystery. These scenes will be read-only format, and given in completion after players unlock them. There will be a series of general ones for all Mortal+ players to ‘collect’, and a few personal ones that I will tailor to the characters. At the end of the game, all will be posted along with the scene logs to complete our story.

Custom Content

Mortal/+ will not be accepting Custom Content submissions for the Jericho chronicle.

Sphere Index

PCs

	Occupation	Concept
Clem Barton	Night Manager of Waffle House	former gifted kid-turned-burnout
Hasil Hurst	Unemployed	Backwoods Conjure Man
Kyle Henley	Dishwasher/Drug manufacturer	Brilliant Delinquent
Lucy Jordan	Elementary School Teacher	(Formerly) All-American Girl

NPCs

	Occupation	Concept
Briar Shelly		Ex Matriarch of the Shelly Legacy
Carl Nelson	Retired Teacher/Owner Of the Jericho Historical Society	How's That Now?
Erica Channing	Farmer	Film Student Drop Out
Helen Wachter	Owner of Wachter Hardware	Shy Tinkerer
Ingril	Medicine Woman	Border Marcher
Jason Jordan	Loyalist	Gone Mad
Jenny Nelson	Owner of the Jericho Historical Society	Live Laugh Love That You Stopped By!
Lisbet Shelly	Owner of Bethlem Memorial Cemetery	Loan Shark, Keeper Of Debts
Lyle Henley	Loyalist	The Other Twin
Ralph Wachter	Repair Man at Wachter Hardware	Ne'er Do Well, Drop Out
The Vrăjitoare

Plots

	Storyteller	Cast	Plot Summary
Shadows Cast	JJ	Helen Wachter, Ralph Wachter, Lisbet Shelly, Clem Barton, Lucy Jordan, Kyle Henley, Hasil Hurst, Jenny Nelson, Carl Nelson, Briar Shelly, Lyle Henley, Jason Jordan, The Vrăjitoare, Erica Channing	Four children once went missing in the dark woods of Appalachia. This is their story.

Locations

	Description
Charlie's Hollow	The Hollow smells of sweet earth, it's a strange mixture of an underground bunker meeting a cave. Parts of the walls are metal with various racks and hooks for the former owner's tools to hang on, while other parts are rock or dirt facing with built in wooden shelves lined with plants. A little stove hangs out in the corner and along another wall, a series of bottles with faded labels, some containing powders, others liquids, others had dried completely or contained herbs that didn't seem as if they'd come from earth. More 'tunnels' led further back suggesting rooms he was slowly adding on to. Ones they could take over and continue with if they desired. One cove houses a bedroom, another a tiny den like space with a large chair for a man that was surely over 6' tall. The space is large enough one spot could easily fit two or three.

Logs

No logs yet!

Application

Chargen

Mortal+ PCs will follow the creation rules of the Chronicles of Darkness core rulebook.
- 10 Merits Points instead of 7.
- Free dot of Fame - Missing Person. You can build this up further on your own, depending on your story.
- No Supernatural Merits may be purchased. All additional supernatural traits will be applied to you in game.
Please 1) Fill out an application. 2) If approved, complete a character sheet. 3) Once finalized, create a wiki for approval. Do not take these steps out of order.

Mortal+ (Special) 1.5 Application

If you'd like to create a character, the Mortal+ application is below. Once you've been approved, the (Mortal Sheet) is here.

Most PCs are going to be 'From Here's', but that doesn't entirely exclude 'Come Here's'.

1. Basic history of character.

Your character's disappearance is part of the story I will be telling you. Discuss the details from an outside point of view, and during creation, we can go over what really happened.

2. Tell me about your disappearance and your return.

Summarize the theme of Mortal+ (Special) and how you see your PC filling that space in our story.

3. What does the setting mean to you?

This isn't going to be a typical story. The notion of 'winning' isn't applicable, even if it may happen in small ways, it's not a guarantee. What we will be exploring involves unraveling a mystery, facing mental, emotional, and physical horror, and coming to terms with a reality the characters will not entirely understand.  I am not looking for players who are uncomfortable displaying a level of vulnerability, 'not winning', or being unhappy with a continually upsetting plot that unravels for their character. *There will be themes of violence, gaslighting, abuse, suicide, and possibly more. Applying to this sphere or playing in any of the scenes involved with the sphere means you consent to these themes being played out.

4. Are you comfortable with these themes and playing them out? Which themes would you like to explore most in this game?

The nights I am able to ST may vary, but typically I will be around Monday and Thursday evenings, with activity over the weekend likely, but not promised. I am Storytelling from the Pacific Standard Timezone.

5. What is your schedule? Does it work with mine?