Play@YSDC

Hi!

Welcome to 'The Haunting'. I'm going to send the first post tonight. I'll concentrate on setting the scene first for your character Evil Scientist, and then bring in Tabs. I want to try to give you an opportunity to flesh out your characters and their motives before the horror begins.

The time span of the mystery will be 3 or 4 days so it shouldn't be too long to complete the game, but of course there is no great rush to post. I'll make another thread where you can post your characters for easy reference. I'm using the orokos.com dice rolling site for your reference.

Can't think of much more at the moment. Thanks for joining! I'm still getting used to this whole format so please bear with me, and don't be shy about offering your thoughts or suggestions.

Can I read Isadora's thread?

The dice roller on this site is super, type 1d100, highlight, and click the "dice" button above.

[dice]1d100[/dice]

Hmmm. Okay, not so super. I guess the dice roller needs to be activated for this game.

Sure you can Tabs, there's nothing secret. Once that's done I'll introduce Norman.

Try the Orokos - works fine.

[dice]1d100[/dice]

Just testing...

Edit: doesn't seem to be working.

Okay fellows, I've asked Mr. Handy to activate the in-game dice roller, so I'll let you know when it's functioning.

In the meantime: some Theosophic ghost stories by Helena Blavatsky: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/44559/44 ... 4559-h.htm

I'll take a look Evil - I want to know more about where you're coming from with your character.

It's not essential reading (they are a bit slow), but might be interesting. "Project Gutenberg" has more books by Blavatsky, with her essays and stuff.

Today I'm at home, so I'm able to post several times. During weekdays I can keep to a one post / day routine!

Okay, I can probably post every day as I have a very long commute to work. I'm up way past my bedtime now though!

I read From the Polar Lands, and I must report: it was rubbish! Coincidentally the story was of a tale told in a castle in Finland about Arctic exploration, Spitsbergen and other places.

Why was it rubbish Tabs? Badly written?

By the way, sorry about my bizarre use of colour on the thread. The controls do my head in.

No, I liked the writing--did e_s say it was dry? well, that probably suits me! It was the plot, the ending I mean. No surprise or unusual stuff, which is what I like.

I'm always keen to tryout new ideas, new to me anyway.

Tabs wrote:No, I liked the writing--did e_s say it was dry? well, that probably suits me! It was the plot, the ending I mean. No surprise or unusual stuff, which is what I like.

I agree, it's more of a curiosity, that these stories exist, and were circulated by the Theosophical Society on par with books describing their belief system.

I am reading the "Handbook of the Theosophical Current", a recent (2013) volume of scholarship on the the Society, its influence, and various other aspects of its activity. It has an essay on "Theosophy and Popular Fiction", about short stories and novels written by members or heavily influenced by the movement: "Theosophists explored the occult dimension in different ways, popular fiction being one of them." Three prominent leaders (Blavatsky, Leadbeater, Judge) wrote "ghost stories".

Most of Blavatsky’s stories are about psychic phenomena,
karma, reincarnation, and mysteries. For an uninformed reader, these
stories read more like ordinary ghost stories, but her editors remind the
reader “that each of her stories illustrated ‘some one phase of that misconceived
but important science, Psychology’”

Algernon Blackwood was secretary of the Toronto Theosophical Society. Dion Fortune, the author I'm quoting in my signature, was only a short-time member, but incorporated Theosophical motives in her belief system and works.

I have to admit that reading the analysis of Blavatsky's ghost stories is much more interesting, than the stories themselves

HoneyDog wrote:By the way, sorry about my bizarre use of colour on the thread. The controls do my head in.

I quote my previous post each time to get the same color #0000BF!

I'm a devotee of Blackwood. Dr. Taverner must have been inspired by Blackwood's John Silence, the psychic doctor (1908)--a literary success at the time.

https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100542926

Nemesis of Fire and Camp of the Dog are superb novellas.

Yes! John Silence and Carnacki were very influential.

The Dr. Taverner stories are structured very much like those two. And the figure itself was also inspired by the spiritual mentor of Fortune, Theodore Moriarty: http://garethknight.blogspot.com/2006/1 ... sonic.html

Tabs wrote:Nemesis of Fire and Camp of the Dog are superb novellas.

Thanks for the recommendations, I will check them out! I have only read the John Silence stories and "The Willows".

I'm sorry, I completely forgot I needed to activate the dice roller when I set up the forum just before I left. I've activated it now.

Cheers Mr. H!

Guys, the Isadora introductions are over - she is up for the investigation, so now it is time to introduce Norman, so I will start the next Chapter very soon. Soon we will get into the thick of the mystery. Thanks for being patient Tabs.

I'm interested to see what Isadora will make of the coming events!

No problem. I've enjoyed what you two have written. I'm eager to join in!

HoneyDog, can I make some changes to my character sheet? I forgot to spend points on a second language for Isadora (although it would make sense for her to know French, as she studied in Paris, and it was probably her main language for communication in Switzerland). I think I can re-distribute some points from other skills.

Right now her "Other language" is Finnish I must have left it in when I copied the template of Norman.