June/July State of the Game

[pumpkinhollow]

June/July State of the Game Update

Hello friends! Rose here!

I'm sure many of you have seen this type of thing before, but something I'd like to do is make periodic updates (roughly every 2-3 months) regarding significant changes within the game! This will cover both IC plot developments and OOC housekeeping junk, so buckle in!

Plot Updates

New arrivals began showing up in June and were welcomed to Pumpkin Hollow and given work and housing. This will continue as new people arrive.

A strange figure has begun to appear from the woods from time to time, and seems to be gradually growing more social. Her name is Elsie, apparently. Dahlia hosted the first public Historical Society meeting, allowing newcomers to get an idea of what sort of work they do and consider joining properly. A handful of helpful books could be found among the library shelves during the meeting:

• "How to Find What You Are Looking For" by William Trawley may seem simplistic at first, but the tip indicated by Dahlia will prove useful for the duration of your time in Pumpkin Hollow, allowing you to seek out cleverly hidden secrets.
• "A Biography of the Leeds Family" by Yennifer Novach details the history of the town's most illustrious family, including the lives and deaths of Dahlia's parents and twelve siblings.
• "The Fundamentals of Emeran Geography" by Amelia Tell gives some background information on the country that Pumpkin Hollow is a part of.
• "Folktales from the Emerald Isles" by Siobhan Mac Ivers is an old book that gives some information on folktales originating from the country of which Pumpkin Hollow is part, which may be useful in researching the creatures which haunt the island.
• "A Pilgrim in Pumpkin Hollow" by Bartram Voigt is the journal of a late resident chronicling his life in this strange town. There is an entry regarding a rather imposing monster that is starting to make its rounds on Marrow Isle once more.
• "An Almanac of Violent Ends" by Cal Kelly is an encyclopedia of ways to die on Marrow Isle. This will be worth revisiting as events progress.
• A Collection of News Articles has been gathered and arranged by the Greymare Library for reference.

Some of these books may be worth revisiting at a later time.

It is also worth noting that Dahlia Leeds took on an assistant in the form of Ianto Jones, one of the newcomers.

Dr. Neil West of West Dream Analytics posted a note on the community bulletin board, offering answers to those who sought him out. His language, while vague, was somewhat derisive toward the Temple of Sacred Roots, which caused some drama at the local Town Council meeting.

A recent newcomer who has a history in the divine and metaphysical was able to discern the identity of the White-Haired Woman bringing all the newcomers to Pumpkin Hollow. Those who are interested in more information should speak to Josiah Cole.

The hidden site of a gruesome years-old murder was discovered and reported to the constables. After some investigation, Snakes Tolliver was the one to report to Reverend Degas Clayton, the patriarch of the Temple of Sacred Roots. The victim was identified as Merrick Gladwyn, the temple's former reverend who mysteriously disappeared some time ago.

The crew of the Copper Coin dredged up a mysterious knife beneath the waves with an eerie inscription on the blade. Investigation is still in progress.

Moderator Updates

Now for some OOC notes!

For the upcoming Activity Check, players will be asked to give their character's affiliation. The current options are: The Temple of Sacred Roots, The Historical Society, The Ocularum, and None. You do not have to do anything special to align with any particular group, and there is no penalty for not picking one. There are perks and drawbacks to each group, and we'd like to start implementing the where necessary as well as get an idea of where characters' allegiances fall!

Speaking of Activity Check, please don't forget to fill it out! We will likely do individual reminders one last time, but as the game gets more involved we will not really have time to do this anymore. If you need an extension, just ask! The character cap has been raised to four as it has been determined that the math involved for both mods and players isn't as intensive as we originally expected.

The FAQ has been updated with some recent questions we've received, and we are in the process of working on a Bestiary page to help keep track of monsters found on the island. Also, the calendar for August has been updated!

Our new TDM is scheduled to release on August 9th, but may be released early if the writing gets done sooner! We are still looking to grow, so please recommend us to your friends and on things like EMP, RPanon, or other RP communities you know of! We can flourish with your help!

Aaaand that's all! Happy August everyone, and thanks so much for an AMAZING first two months!

CODED BY TESSISAMESS