Middlegate, OH

neptune

a god among men
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Slice of Life, Horror, Fandoms, Superheroes, Crime, Drama, Grit, Supernatural, Light Sci-Fi, Modern Era, Dark Themes
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Middlegate is a small town located in central Ohio. It has a population of approximately ~5000 permanent residents, and approximately ~100 part time residents. The east side of Middlegate is separated from Deervine National Forest by a mile-wide strip of unclaimed, unincorporated land. The town's economy largely subsists on thru-traffic thanks to an indefinite infrastructure project that designated Middlegate as a detour from a section of major highway. For those who don't make their living at one of several businesses on Main Street, the only other game in town is EthaArc; an ethanol manufacturing and refinery plant that supplies its byproducts to Middlegate farmers for nutritious livestock feed.

Much like any midwestern town, the weather in Middlegate is predictably unpredictable. It's not unheard of for the forecast to include a beautiful sunny day at the beginning of the week and end with a dusting of snow in the late spring. Summers are hot and humid while winters are bitterly cold. Every June, Middlegate experiences a two day eclipse prior to the summer solstice. This strange phenomenon has prompted a festival that draws people from far and wide.

HAPPENINGS

happenings happened
such as: the two days dark and [someone] is missing

LOCATIONS

The Riggs School: With such a small population, the schools in Middlegate have been consolidated into one large building and a series of additional pre-fab trailers that provide education to K-12 students. Said to be named after the long-deceased founder of Middlegate, William M. Riggs, the school is located on the north side of town just off of main street.

The Golden Palace Diner: A staple of Middlegate, the Golden Palace supplies good food, hot coffee and friendly service to locals and out-of-towners alike. [Woman] owns the business now after taking it over from her ailing mother ten years ago. The diner has been in the [family] for generations.

The Golden Palace Motel: Doubling as a truck stop, the Golden Palace Motel is located around back of the diner. It has five rooms, all smoking, and color TV that picks up four channels plus public access.

The Middle: The Middle of Middlegate is not the middle at all. Referring to the strip of land between the town proper and Deervine forest, the middle contains remnants of Riggs Paper, a paper mill that caught fire fifty years ago and was left to rot. Owned by the Riggs family who no longer reside in Middlegate, the only thing left standing is the charred frame of a doorway. The Middle is a popular area for local teens looking to hook up or gather around a bonfire. The land is also rumored to be a good spot to commit crimes since it has no owner, is outside of police jurisdiction and backs up to miles of untouched forest.

Deervine Forest: Deervine National Forest is a lush, green gem in the flat, brown, Ohio landscape. Made up of old-growth trees that bend and weave around uncharted hiking paths, getting lost is so easy that Middlegate residents are cautioned to stay away from an early age. Birch trees watch the walker, and the wind rustling through the thick cover of leaves is said to sound like whispering. Time seems to disappear in Deervine, with dozens of locals reported missing after entering the forest only to emerge days or weeks later claiming they'd only been gone for a few hours.

The fauna found in Deervine is typical, consisting of bugs, squirrels, foxes, coyotes and many different species of birds. Like the name, there are also deer. Unlike the bucks and does hung in the living rooms of Middlegate residents, no deer from Deervine has ever been successfully hunted. In fact, the Deervine deer don't really seem like deer at all. At a glance, their antlers are there and their tawny coats look soft and smooth, if not a little dirty, but there is something off about them. Unlike the deer in Middlegate, these deer don't flee at the sight of people; their black eyes are said to stare straight through you, inducing fear and an unshakable sense of dread. The hunters who have gotten close enough to gaze upon these deer have reported that they look strange; their joints bend at odd angles, their breathing comes out in low rumbles and some stand on their hind legs as if attempting to walk upright.

The Lilac: The Lilac is Middlegate's only true bar that doesn't exist in someone's basement. Despite the flowery name, it's a rough, hole in the wall joint. The dirt and gravel parking lot gives way to a two-story brick and wood building. More narrow than wide and lacking windows on the main floor, the inside is dark and moody, dimly lit with booths lining the outside edges. The space in the middle is scattered with a handful of round tables that mark the edge of the dance floor. A stage sits at the back of the house where live music plays most nights. Thursday is open-mic night.


THE VEIL OF SLEEP

The freestanding doorway in The Middle is the only way to enter what is known in folklore as The Structure. Only accessible during the annual eclipse, The Structure is a series of identical rooms and hallways that act as the innards of The Veil of Sleep. The Veil houses doppelgangers and other monstrosities, all of which serve The Arbiter. A being of many faces and presentations, the origins of the Arbiter are currently unknown.

what does the arbiter want?
bigger doors
where does he want them?
weed stores

idk more will go here soon

supernatural biz

- children of the swan: secret worshipers of the carnivorous puddle swan who guards one of the veil exits in deervine forest. these worshipers either successfully defeated their doppelganger OR (because i haven't decided yet) are escaped doppelgangers themselves and wish to get back to the arbiter

- the swan: deep within deervine forest, a cramped, dank pond is home to a single swan. inky black water obscures the truth; the pond is miles deep and filled with the remains of humans and animals alike. the swan is said to divulge secrets for the correct offering

- the deervine deer: every deer in deervine forest started as a human. they made a bet with the arbiter and lost and now they roam the forest, serving as a warning to those who dare wander too deep. anyone who has experienced the veil can communicate with these deer telepathically. anyone who hasn't experienced the veil will be terrified and those who stare too long will be left mentally scarred




fluorocarbons - the liquid which fills the swan pond, making the ascent from the exit survivable for the swimmer
room 3 at the golden palace motel - the shower acts as an exit from the structure (possible: room 3 never has a vacancy)
the range - the shooting range that doubles as a hunting lodge, frequented by grumpy old folks who have had encounters with the veil
have you been having strange dreams? - a flier posted on a telephone pole near the outskirts of town poses a simple question. if you've been having strange dreams, simply go to [the place] at [the time] and discover that you're not alone. (this is a shared dream as a result of the veil. dreams will be built by GMs and privately messaged for dreamers to interpret. there are main markers for these dreams and reveal the layout of the structure as well as faces of the arbiter)
 
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