INTRODUCTION
Freak Fest is a discord based mystery, horror, and adventure RP group welcoming artists, writers, and any ttrpg enthusiast. In Freak Fest players will each make their own original character to take part in the Freak Fest storyline and enjoy the community together. Freak Fest is plot focused featuring one linear storyline that will take place over a relatively short period in game and uses a lot of table-top elements in play. Players won’t be expected to know the group systems intimately, but will be expected to know them well enough to play their own character correctly during events. Freak Fest will feature permadeath and some choose your own adventure elements.
At the end of the day the point of the group is to have fun unfolding a story together. If that interests you please read through our website! We hope to get to see you soon.
General Setting
The period and regional setting for Freak Fest is America in the mid 1990s. In the world of Freak Fest as far as anyone in the common public knows it is the same world we always knew. No supernatural happenings, the existence of ghosts and demons are best left to your personal beliefs, cults slowed down in the 80s, and the moon landing definitely happened. The attendees of Freak Fest however might have some strong opinions on all these matters to the contrary.
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All player characters in the group will be attending Freak Fest for one reason or another. You can scroll down this page and explore our website to find out a little bit more about what Freak Fest is. Boiled down, it's a convention meant for leaders in the field of conspiracy, the paranormal, and the extraterrestrial to speak and share their experiences and knowledge with each other and the public. In reality it's an event taped together by internet fanatics before being on the internet was cool and has faced a lot of recent controversy and has made it a popular source for public entertainment and scrutiny.
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The 1993 saw the destruction of a former venue and many lawsuits that made continuing their gatherings in the area rather unwise. Thus the 1994 event will be taking place at the Devil's River lodge in beautiful Magpie Landing, an unincorporated township in Vermont.
FREAK FEST
In 1993 a devastating fire engulfed a local lodge of a rural community in the Appalachian mountains. For such a rural town with a population no more than 300 the incident saw dozens injured and several missing who to this day have not been found. The incident was revealed to center around not locals but a curious gathering, one the attendance endearingly called the Freak Fest. As the more details emerged more questions appeared while there were still no answers. It was revealed that while not criminal (for the most part) many in attendance had an antagonistic relationship with the government and various state powers. Some "speakers" at the event claimed to be former CIA, FBI, and more. Interest rose, and within days this rural incident was receiving national coverage.
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Suddenly countless rumors and a novel intrigue sparked up around this Freak Fest. The incident was deemed a suspected arson case and since the gathering hosted attendees from across the country, the many claimed government affiliations, and the several unfound missing persons the F.B.I. took over the case. The media swarmed, and during frenzy the founders of the gathering were caught on camera by journalists, mostly against their will, but some centering themselves to speak out against several lawsuits brought against them or to use the platform to their own advantage, ranting about completely unrelated topics. The founders, attendees, and Freak Fest itself became victims of widespread ridicule across America. Freak Fest was the butt of the joke, a gathering of weirdos that looked more like aliens themselves than the pictures they’d bring onto tv interviews and talk shows, spouting off nonsense and paranoia.
The coverage went on for several months in line with the court proceedings, every few weeks some new development or interview gave the public something new to hook onto. It was a circus. Then, finally, the announcement came that there would in fact be a Freak Fest 1994. It was apparently to be held in some Vermont lodge deep in the woods in a town that didn't even technically exist legally speaking. It would also have open registration... an oversite by the inexperienced organizers when they had to formalize as a convention rather than an informal gathering. While the announcement was publicized with spirited enthusiasm (see the press release on our front page) it quickly became clear they may have bitten off more than they could chew.
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Rumor has quickly stirred that this Freak Fest is going to be crashed en masse. Several false registration sites popped up almost within minutes of the 1994 event announcement, these cites sending out badge forgeries to anyone that signed up there. The fest organizers began receiving calls and emails from people that claiming to be registered as speakers and vendors. Several of these sites have been shut down only for a new one to appear. Hotels in the area, not huge to begin with, have been booked to capacity. College kids have been interviewed on the street of New York toting their by mail badges, admitting they're more excited to see the fest freaks than anything "whatever speakers". Fraternities from UC Santa Cruz have already vowed to make the trip from California just to see it for themselves.
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In light of these events, the utterly overwhelming pressure of the lawsuits, and the publicity it's rumored many founders have backed out of the Fest completely. The remaining organizational committee, whoever they may be, have been suspiciously silent. Only time will tell if this years Freak Fest will live up to the disastrous legacy of its predecessor.
MAGPIE LANDING INFORMATIONAL BROCHURE:
Magpie Landing, formerly a township situated within scenic Lunette county, now stands as one of the famous unincorporated communities in Vermont. The community was disincorporated in 1937 largely due to a drastic and steady decline in population that began in 1924 following the tragic Devil’s River landslide. The landslide destroyed the entire central hub of the town including railroads vital to the town’s copper and lumber industries, and rendering many of the once lucrative copper mines unsafe and inaccessible. Today Magpie Landing has a population higher than most unincorporated communities with the 1992 census counting an estimated 96 persons. In recent years there has even been talk of a vote for incorporation, but with all the residents very comfortable with their community as is, there is no rush.
WELCOME TO MAGPIE LANDING VERMONT
Magpie Landing is a known wildlife haven, surrounded by beautiful national park wilderness. The community members take personal responsibility in maintaining the local trails. Most local trails have been abandoned by the national parks service with the exception of 2 found nearer to the area’s hunting lodges. In the summer a day camp is run out of the community’s center, Magpie Landing General Store and Information Center. The store and information center, run by the Daluthe family for generations, surviving the landslide, offers education on the area’s history as well as provides a place where local children can learn about nature and the environment around them.
Business in Magpie Landing is not without mention. Alongside the general store Magpie Landing is home to two hunting lodges where hunters come and enjoy the local beauty and take advantage of the area’s thriving wildlife. The community also boasts one other business in that of a local psychic and oddities store. The business run by Annabelle Bastien was established in 1983 and is only open 4 days a week. The owner leases the cellar space of the general store, as well as another smaller office in the neighboring town, Antioch. The business has become another point of pride for the community that makes a point to celebrate its unique residents.
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If you'd like to visit Magpie Landing to experience all the community has to offer the lodges are open to visitors most of the year, and in the off season Antioch offers the nearest hotels and hospitalities. While the hour and 45 minute drive is daunting to some, anyone whose made it will tell you Magpie Landing is worth the time.
A WORD ON ANTIOCH
Antioch is the closest town to Magpie Landing being a winding 95 minute drive away, give or take, through mostly wilderness and mountain roads. While still small by the standards of some the town gets by just fine. Unlike Magpie landing it boasts a few thousand residence, has a decently diverse economy, and a central government. The two communities have a friendly relationship for the most part, many Magpie Landing kids attending school in Antioch if not homeschooled, and many other Magpie Landing residence make a living in Antioch simply because that's where jobs are available in the lodges off season.
During the Freak Fest Antioch's hotels and downtown will take a brunt of what the small Devil's River lodge cant handle for lodging and feeding attendees.
INCORPORATING YOUR CHARACTER
Your character could have chosen to attend Freak Fest for any reason. Maybe they’re an enthusiast that attended the event before all the hype, or they just saw all the publicity on tv with their friends and all dared each other into it. Maybe they lost a bet? Maybe it was as simple as why the fuck not, I like cryptid stuff, or maybe they were a Magpie Landing or Antioch local with nothing better to do. Maybe they’re a panelist that finally feels they found a platform to tell the public the truth about fairy rings, or a discredited NASA scientist. Whatever the reason, the only requirement for players is that their original characters are attendees of the event or snuck themselves a badge somehow. There really is a world of possibility so have fun.