Share Local Creepy Stuff With Me!

[Uzumaki]

Yeah, I'm moving to San Diego soon, but until then--

*quiver*

Yeah, good thing San Diego is only one of the most haunted cities in America. We don't have many outright malevolent ghosts, though I guess few places do. I've never met any of them, but I know a few people who have.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Not from your region, but from Austria - but this little detail can be easily changed for your story:

Die Weltmaschine

The site is in German only, so here is the gist of it:

Basically, an obscure Austrian farmer named Franz Gsellmann had an idea for some sort of machine in 1957, but he's missing the inspiration for the basic structure. He gets that one year later, when he sees a picture of the Atomium in Bruessels. He goes there, and notes down the structure and measurements. When he gets back home, he starts working on his machine in a room in his farm.

And he keeps on doing that for 23 years. In the first eight years, he tells nobody what he is working on, and allows no one to enter the room. He scrounges parts from flea markets, and custom orders or constructs other
parts himself. Some parts come from as far as Japan, America, and Persia (the latter is some sort of weird cup that revolves when the machine is running and is flanked by a small model of the Atomium and a crown that shines golden...). Nobody was allowed to watch him work. He neclects the farm, forcing his family to do his share of farmwork. He feels misunderstood
by his neighbors.

In 1981, he declares the machine to be "completed" - and dies soon afterwards. Now the monstrosity is several meters wide, and fills a good part of a room. When it is started, many parts revolve, and an odd music is played.

His family keeps the thing intact and running for tourist revenue.


So, what is this thing really about? What does it summon? What malevolent influences have been unleashed on this planet?

All good questions - do your PCs dare to find out the answer?

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

If you can(especially people from places near NJ, like Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut, but anywhere is great), tell me a bit about the local spooks and legends from your town or area; anything is good, even if it's just stuff about Bigfoot or the legend behind a creepy old house or cemetery. I think that this could be a great resource for people's games, especially if you're like me and you've got something special planned for Halloween...

Jeffrey Dahmer. He was local; I live about 30 blocks from where he lived.

Before him, there was Ed Gein. You may have seen films which were very (and I mean, very) loosely-based on his adventures: Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Silence of the Lambs, or even a more recent one, Ed Gein (much closer to what Ed really did). Aside from grave-robbing, murder, probably cannibalism, and who knows what else, Ed made furniture and other items out of dead people.

Spoiler

He also used to go hunting and give people venison, but after his arrest claimed he had never shot a deer in his life.

 

[kenjib]

Tons of stuff here for Seattle if you browse the site:

http://axgxhxoxsxt.tripod.com/amateurghosthuntersofseattletacoma/

I remember a few months ago seeing a sign that said "Ghost Hunter's Conference" pointing toward the community center a few blocks from my house and wondering what the heck it was.

Some more specific stuff is here:

http://axgxhxoxsxt.tripod.com/amateurghosthuntersofseattletacoma/id13.html

 

[kenjib]

If you want to look at mass murderers, this guy has always been one of the most evocative to me:

http://www.thecrimeweb.com/hhholmes.htm

 

[babomb]

I live in New Orleans. There are so many ghost stories I can't keep track of 'em. I found a few sites for you though:

http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/living/travel/6191865.htm

http://www.ouraaa.com/traveler/0109/haunted_s.html

http://www.newsherald.com/archive/features/vc082299.htm

http://www.prairieghosts.com/myrtles.html

http://members.tripod.com/~eternity500/voodoo.htm

A lot of people still visit Marie Laveau's grave and leave money in the hope that she'll help them with her voodoo powers.

 

[Halivar]

Jeffrey Dahmer. He was local; I live about 30 blocks from where he lived.

Eh, der. I used to live in West Allis. I remember Dahmer worked for Ambrosia Chocolates, and they say he took body parts with him to work. The day after that story broke, all Ambrosia chocolates were on the clearance rack at Pick n' Save. They sat there for a long time.

 

[Taelorn76]

You can't go wrong with the town of Salem MA. withthe witch trial and hangings.

I also remember hearing of and abandoned town in Ct called Dudley Town. It is said to be an extemely powerfull place. If you remove anything even a single stone and take it with you the hauntings will follow you for the rest of your life.

Also an edlerly couple called the Warrens live in CT. They are ghost hunters, and put on shows around Holloween describing their stories and showing picture and video of ghosts.

The Warrens

 

[Ao the Overkitty]

There's this city in New York called Syracuse...

That's all I have.

Hey, you've got Toxic Mall, that counts for something.

Carousel Mall is built on a toxic waste dump. Not exactly creepy, but easy to come up with stories of freakish mutations happening to the unsuspecting teenagers manning the mall's movie theater or other stores.

^_^

 

[blackshirt5]

That'd be Dudleyville, I believe, not Dudley Town, Taelorn. But yes, I've heard of that one; come tomorrow I'm going to the library to check out some research material, and I'm gonna ask James(one of my players) about any creepy stuff at Princeton.