The Day of The Dead
The Day of the Dead is celebrated all over most civilized worlds, but is especially prominent on Rosalvinia, Cornan, Shaia, Heavion, Aquillon, Erdfresser, AV10, Shimmer, Vexia, Wyrmrest and Metropolis II.
The celebration lasts around a month, ramping up in activity and excitement until The Day of the Dead itself. During this time, many people visit The Hallowed Isles and tell ghost stories to one another.
Read the first chapter of Brand and The Jacksville Killings, a short horror mystery following Detective Brand working on behalf of The Trophy Organization and The Violet Flame as a detective a few hundred years after the fall of The Hallow Family. Unlike many detective stories, however, there is an occult element here - Detective Brand works for the POIS, or Private Occult Investigative Society. The POIS will have it's own page here shortly, but they specialize in investigating homicides caused both by man and by supernatural means. Other characters such as the head of the orphanage Petra, Brand's loyal student Collin and many more will also be introduced here!
The Hallowed Isles are a unique spattering of islands off the coast of The Crimson Coast, once upon a time ruled by The Hallow family - a noble family of shai who began marrying outside of their own race (and were actually one of the first noble shai families to begin intermingling with outside races.)
For a long time, the family prospered - but due to greed and jealousy from other families of The Crimson Coast, eventually they were destroyed. The song notated below covers the story, and it's a famously told tale around The Day of The Dead. It is believed every member of The Hallow Family that was on the island that day suffered a fate worse than death, becoming corrupted by either dark magic or energy that had been unleashed from within The Hallowed Isles itself - although neither has been entirely confirmed.
However, there are many rumors and sometimes people do go missing on this island despite the festivities and popularity as a tourist destination in modern times. The island has unique endemic life and fauna as well as plantlife found nowhere else, and as such is closely monitored by various governmental agencies.
And where government is at play, cover-ups are quick to follow.
Tale of The Headless Horseman (Song Lyrics)
On a great island there is a strange land
Shrouded in a great darkness
Ripe with mystery a
dark history
Come listen to my story
Long long ago, there lived a strange man far, far away from home
He fell in love with a great princess born to rule this land
The two one day had a wedding happiness was found there
But as we now know there was treason whispering in the air
And so we tell this dark story
Lies and jealousy make us monsters so it would seem
The other men on that day plotted their great scheme
Altogether, they found the strange man lying in his sleep
Each of them brandishing their weapons ready his soul to reap
As the blades came flashing downwards there was a piercing cry
The lovely princess protected him and was the first to die
On a great island, there is a strange land shrouded in a strange darkness
Ripe with mystery a dark history come listen to my story
When the strange man awoke, he saw her lying upon his lap
Eyes trembling as her spirit left her, reaching out for his hand
Once the strange man saw what had happened, he stood upon his bed
Shouting at all the men who were there, "You will all soon be dead!"
And so we tell this dark story
Lies and jealousy make us monsters, so it would seem
The other men on that day regretted their great scheme
All together they charged the strange ma,n taking off his head!
But something truly strange then happened he arose from the dead!
As the man had taken his last breath, something offered him power
And in his rage, the man accepted the dark gift he devoured!
On a great island there is a strange land shrouded in a strange darkness
Ripe with mystery a dark history come listen to my story
The now headless man carved a plumpkin placing it upon his head
Lit by a fiery core of magic casting about true dread!
Now, in his never-ending sorro,w the man rides through these lands
On a black steed as dark as midnight eyes glowing a bright red!
And so we tell this dark story
Hatred and sorrow make a monster seeking out his revenge
The Headless Horseman now looms over all who live
After he slew the men who wronged him, he fell into a sleep
telling the others he had spared their soul wasn't theirs to keep
Now sometimes someone will go missing and come back with no head
The headless horseman is who took it in eternal bloodshed!
