Fresh, Hot Wastes of Time

The Dread House character brief as originally posted by Dave Szulborski:

Ron Daubert: Ron’s World, Puzzle Cards; current webmaster for TT; lives NYC; found the CDs that Vargas left behind, gets involved in the intrigue from there; becomes suspicious that TT is spying on him; goes underground

 

Charles _____: Cambridge Mental Hospital webmaster. Father was caretaker, then he was. born 1942. Took over CMH 1963. Has disturbing memories, gets confused; his garbled messages spur Ron and Nicole to going to CMH to figure out what’s going on

 

Ed Vargas/Amanda Graves: old TT webmaster, put messages in autoresponders; webmaster for UM; put encrypted directories from DH files on CDs

 

IAI webmaster: male, journalist, ends up connecting TOD and IAI killer to same person; eventually connects to CMH; is at CMH for finale; waits outside to stand guard

 

Dr. Karl Shoemaker: b1940; lives San Francisco; developed DRP

 

R. Weaver/Nicole Teals: DH webmaster; starts out pretending to be male; is researching the DH fiasco because her brother was on the show and disappeared; found some evidence at CMH; outs ronsworld.org; meets up with Ron halfway through and they go from there; receives dream messages and undergoes DRP

 

Reed Singleton: DP webmaster; grandchild of Ann Starling; collected & published the DP content

 

Tara Hutchins: owner of GMH & webmaster; dislikes the negative STF article; uses haunted past to stir up current business; survived an attempt to kill her and her mother because she was not the 7th son

 

Tomorrow’s Talk characters:
CEO/ President – Mark Robinson
VP of Production – Joseph Silver
VP of Operations – Randall Thomas
Director of Corporate Communications (Press Inquiries) – Lucinda ‘Lucy’ Jenner
Director of Human Resources (Employment) – Sandra Brown
Talent Coordinator (Casting) – Lisa Roman

 

Dr. J. David Richardson, M.D., Ph.D: webmaster of godmind.com

 

STF webmaster: publishes an e-zine online with articles on bizarre events

 

UH Webmaster: runs the website for UH

 

SS Webmaster: conspiracy theorist

 

FH webmaster

 

TU webmaster

 

BW webmaster

 

TOD webmaster

 

BOS webmaster

 

non-active characters:

 

Michael: Nicole’s brother, contestant in DH; her motivation for researching what really happened; house destroyed by fire; 7th of 7 sons

 

IAI/TOD killer: actually members of the seventh sons society, many related so similar in appearance; used same alias to further the illusion

 

Old Todd: former custodian on CMH, lives in the ruins, hermit

 

Ann Starling/Beatrice Doe: communicated with the dead and was sent to an asylum; channeled the DP content via dreams

 

Alexander Steward: one of the original GMH owners; was being badly used by SS to breed 7 sons; killed the daughter born in place of the son he wanted

A stalker’s image from the notorious ARGTalk ARG. I did the scrawl and the poem in the lower right. The ARG itself got a lot of bad press for two reasons – one deserved and one not. First, people felt duped when the supposedly legit news site was actually a rabbithole into a game. That was to be expected, and ties in well with many things that people say today about being honest about what is game space and what is not. Back in 2005, however, the water was a lot muddier and people did not want to see anything that took them out of the game, so this was an experiment down that kind of road.

The second reason people dissed the game (and the undeserved one) was the poor production value in the trailhead talk show. That was by design, which people would have realized had they stuck around to figure out how the story worked out in the end. Instead, they left at that point and ridiculed the “Attack by bubblewrap.”

This was a little too edgy for the Battle Over Promicin campaign, but it was fun to write.

[IMAGE: An aerial view of a huge crowd in St. Peter’s Square overlaid with a syringe full of promicin]

 

The Vatican announced yesterday that it was suspending its canonization process due to increasing worries about the effects of promicin. Canonization, or the method by which people are declared saints, requires proof that the subject performed at least one miracle. Church officials say that the abilities granted by the neurotransmitter promicin are indistinguishable from actual, divinely-inspired miracles.

 

Although the announcement had been expected for some time, the global Roman Catholic community reacted to yesterday’s statement with reactions ranging from relief to anger. Many Catholics appear to be falling into two opposing camps regarding the promicin issue.

 

One faction agrees with the Vatican’s decision on both practical and theological grounds. “It says right in Matthew that false prophets will perform great signs and miracles to deceive the elect,” said Fr. Pepe Rivera from Mexico. “How can we tell if these promicin abilities should be considered sacred or profane? We cannot.”

 

Another faction disagrees with the dismissal of promicin by the church. “They have conveniently overlooked the fact that Jordan Collier died and came back to life,” says Fr. Giovanni Vanici of Italy. “Instead, they focus on this promicin. I am ashamed to say that I think the Holy Mother Church is afraid of what this could all mean.”

 

While debate rages, tens of thousands have gathered at Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican to pray, protest, or get answers. The Swiss Guard, traditional protectors of Vatican City, has been hard-pressed to quell the occasional outbreaks of violence between the pro-promicin and anti-promicin Catholics.

 

The Pope issued a very brief statement this morning asking for “the Catholic flock to reflect and pray in this troubled time,” but no further announcements are expected. Two highly-placed Cardinals, on condition of anonymity, told the press that they feared a schism over the promicin issue was imminent.

 

Services in many local churches have been disrupted or canceled. While bishops attempt to work with their area churches to restore functionality, they ask that those planning to attend mass call ahead to verify there has been no schedule change.

• Trivia for today: "Making the beast with two backs" was first used in English (that we know of) by Shakespeare. http://bit.ly/rdpsJP #
• Second degree burns on 40% of your body… from sunbathing? We has it in Austin: http://bit.ly/nZu76N #
• Tactical bleeding zombie pistol targets? Yes, please! http://bit.ly/nwIdvi #
• School hasn't even started yet and already I'm getting crap from parents using the directory to spam their business. FTC complaint time. #
• I have decided to quit letting my blog languish away. We'll see how long that lasts. #
• Those flying into IND for ARGFest: The password is "I opt out." http://bit.ly/qx1xsd #
• 180 squats, lunges, and presses later, I'm like a new person. A weak, kitten-like person. #
• Hovering art directors: http://t.co/4EZcUua #
• There's a transmedia campaign for the YA author Michael Grant's upcoming novel, BZRK: http://gobzrk.com/ #transmedia #
• Holy crap I think my legs have fired me. #
• I am simultaneously elated and terrified by the fact that I'm shopping for clothes in the normal sizes now. So many choices! #
• An AR-15 wielding Combat Garden Gnome to watch over your premises when you can't: http://t.co/XuMQpqF #

A puzzle I made for the campaign for Christopher Paolini’s Brisingr, part of the Eragon series.

A proposal for a game leading up to a live event that Dave and I made. It never happened, although I hope someday they decide to do some sort of a transmedia campaign. Which is why I hacked all the names and identifying graphics out of there and it looks so ugly!

Cryptid Love

A song by Jan Owen and Nick Braccia, written for the Monster Hunters Club ARG.